History of Flight
On January 12, 2017, about 0905 Pacific standard time, a Mooney M20J, registration N6201N, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during cruise flight near the Lake Hughes Very High Frequency Omnirange (LHS VOR) navigation beacon. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot and operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions were likely present at the accident site around the time of the accident; no flight plan was filed. The personal flight departed Tehachapi Municipal Airport (TSP) about 0849 and was destined for Zamperini Field Airport (TOA), Torrance, California.
The airplane was the subject of an FAA Alert Notice (ALNOT) issued on January 17, indicating it was missing. In response, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and Civil Air Patrol conducted a telephonic search. That search determined the pilot's last known flight was January 12, leading to examination of air traffic control radar data. A radar track with transponder code 1200, originating southeast of TSP and terminating at LHS VOR, was identified as likely the missing airplane. On January 18, a Civil Air Patrol aerial search located the wreckage a few hundred feet from LHS VOR.
The pilot based the airplane at TSP and lived locally. He worked three days a week in Torrance and used the airplane to commute. A coworker typically picked him up at TOA on workdays. On the accident morning, the coworker did not hear from the pilot. About January 16, a friend noticed the pilot's truck at the airport and that no one had seen him for several days, leading to the ALNOT.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single- and multi-engine land, and instrument ratings. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in February 2016. His personal flight logs were not located. In a report to the NTSB regarding a June 2016 landing accident in a different airplane, the pilot reported 2,500 total flight hours, including 2,300 hours in single-engine airplanes and 100 hours of actual instrument flight time. The pilot also owned a Grumman AA-1 and held an FAA mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings, issued March 2012.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, retractable landing gear airplane was manufactured in 1978. It was equipped with a Lycoming IO-360-series engine and a constant speed propeller. The pilot purchased the airplane in July 2005; the engine was overhauled in December 2016. NTSB searches for maintenance records were unsuccessful. Two acquaintances reported the overhaul was due to the presence of metal in the oil or oil filter.
Meteorological Information
The 0835 TSP automated weather observation included calm wind, visibility 10 miles, broken cloud layer at 7,500 ft, overcast at 8,000 ft, temperature 5°C, dew point 2°C, and altimeter 29.90 inHg. The 0855 observation included calm wind, visibility 10 miles, overcast at 6,000 ft, temperature 6°C, dew point 2°C, and altimeter 29.91 inHg. General William J. Fox Airfield (WJF) in Lancaster, about 15 miles east of the flight track, reported at 0856: winds from 240° at 10 knots, visibility 10 miles in light rain, overcast at 2,400 ft, temperature 9°C, dew point 7°C, and altimeter 29.92 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
LHS VOR is on a leveled-off peak at elevation 5,793 ft. The wreckage was on the north slope, about 70 ft below and 380 ft from the VOR antenna. The impacted mountain was the highest topographical feature along the flight track, with terrain rising rapidly as the airplane crossed the mountain range. The airplane first struck low scrub vegetation, then grassy earth before impacting heavy scrub where it came to rest. Scars were consistent with a wings-level, right-side-up attitude on a horizontal flight path.
The forward fuselage exhibited severe crush and fracture damage. The cabin door, pilot seat, and other items were found about 20 ft ahead. The instrument panel was severely disrupted; damage precluded obtaining relevant instrument or control positions. The main landing gear condition and position were consistent with being retracted at impact. The engine partially separated, coming to rest on its left side, with significant damage but all cylinders intact. No evidence of pre-impact catastrophic failures was found. The three-blade propeller hub separated; two blades showed moderate twisting/bending, the third fractured at the root. Both wings swept aft about 75° with extensive leading-edge crush. The left flap appeared retracted; the right flap was free to travel, consistent with a fractured link. Both ailerons remained attached with limited movement due to deformation. The aft fuselage and empennage were nearly intact. There was no fire. No pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions of propeller, engine, or airframe were observed.
Additional Information
A pilot/mechanic based at TSP witnessed the departure and reported weather as not good, with mist, light snow, and a low ceiling.
No ELT signals were received from the accident airplane. About three weeks after the accident, FAA inspectors retrieved the ELT, which began transmitting when removed. The ELT transmitted in the ON position but not in the ARM position. A sticker indicated batteries were due for replacement by March 2015, about 19 months before the accident. The ELT was an AMERI-KING CORP Model AK-450, listed as an FAA Unapproved Part.
A Garmin GPSMap 496 device was recovered but contained no accident flight data. A Garmin Aera 796 contained the accident flight and previous flights. The Aera 796 had terrain display and alert functions, but investigation could not determine configuration or use during the accident flight. The device's Pilot's Guide included warnings that terrain information is advisory only and should not be used for primary terrain avoidance.
Air traffic control radar data showed the flight from 0851:36 to 0904:59. The airplane climbed to 7,675 ft, then descended and leveled off at various altitudes, with final radar return at 6,000 ft about 0.3 miles north-northeast of LHS VOR. The Aera 796 GPS data showed the flight track, with the airplane climbing, turning, and then descending to about 5,750 ft where it remained until data ended 3.2 miles before impact. Straight-line extrapolation led directly to the impact site.
FAA Advisory Circular 61-134 states that controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) occurs when an airworthy aircraft is flown into terrain with inadequate pilot awareness of the impending collision. No records of communications with air traffic control were found.
Medical and pathological information: The autopsy report listed cause of death as multiple blunt force traumatic injuries. Toxicology tests detected no ethanol or screened drugs.