History of Flight
On August 2, 2018, about 1705 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N56039, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an approach to Lopez Island Airport (S31), Lopez Island, Washington. The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Friday Harbor Airport (FHR) at an unknown time.
According to the instructor's wife, the flight was scheduled for 1400 but delayed to 1500 for unknown reasons.
A witness reported that he was departing from an airport about 3 nautical miles west of the accident airplane. During his initial climb, he heard a pilot announce over the radio that he was on an extended left base for "runway 14" at S31, sounding unsure or distracted. The witness turned east and observed an airplane about 300 ft above ground level and about 0.5 nm north of S31, initiating a turn from base to final for runway 16. The airplane's left turn progressed into a 45° bank that increased until it entered a nose-down dive. He saw the airplane complete one revolution on its roll axis before disappearing from sight.
Audio from a surveillance camera at a nearby residence captured the accident. The engine could be heard about 30 seconds into the 1-minute audio; the sound was smooth and continuous. After several seconds, the engine sound advanced to a high power setting, then almost instantaneously the airplane was heard impacting trees.
Personnel Information
The pilot receiving instruction did not hold a current flight review. The flight instructor, age 68, held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on May 30, 2018, with the restriction "must have available glasses for near vision." His total flight time was about 1,462 hours, with 74 hours in the previous 90 days. His logbook showed no experience in the accident airplane make and model. FAA records indicated he had failed two check rides: one in September 2012 for his flight instructor certificate due to exceeding aircraft limitations and airmanship deficiencies (retested satisfactory two weeks later), and a subsequent Part 135 initial check ride where he failed the route check and flight portion "substantially" due to basic airmanship failures including aircraft control, uncoordinated flight, and inadequate airmanship in traffic patterns. He did not retest.
Meteorological Information
The 1653 recorded weather observation at FHR, located about 4 nm from the accident site, included wind from 220° at 6 knots, visibility 8 statute miles, broken clouds at 4,300 ft agl, overcast clouds at 5,000 ft agl, temperature 16°C, dew point 11°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a wooded area about 400 ft from the western shore of Lopez Island and about 0.5 nm northeast of S31. An initial impact point (IIP) was identified by an airframe fragment in the canopy of a tall tree. A tree scar measuring about 5 ft was observed about halfway up a 100-foot tall tree. The main wreckage, comprising the empennage, left wing, right wing root, fuselage, and engine, was located a few feet forward of the scarred tree oriented on a magnetic heading of 180°, marking the end of the debris path. The debris path was oriented on a heading of 126° magnetic and the distance between the IIP and main wreckage was about 60 ft. The right wing separated at the wing root and was found in the debris path near the scarred tree. Both propeller blades remained attached to the propeller hub.
The airplane was recovered for further examination. Rudder, elevator, and aileron control continuity was established from the cockpit to each respective control surface through overload separations. The elevator trim system was continuous; the jackscrew measured 1.5 inches and displayed 20 threads, consistent with full nose-up trim. Wing fuel tanks were breached and did not contain fuel. The fuel selector valve was found in the left tank detent; the selector handle stem had fractured internally. The fuel strainer showed trace debris but no water contamination.
The elevator trim servo, electric trim switch, and lower trim gear box assembly were examined. The wiring cable to the servo had been cut; examination revealed no anomalies. The switch showed long-term wear but no preimpact anomalies. The jackscrew rotated freely and was bent inside the gear box housing, consistent with impact damage.
Engine examination established mechanical continuity throughout. Thumb compression and suction were obtained for all four cylinders. Borescope showed undamaged combustion chambers. The ignition system functioned normally during manual rotation. Spark plugs showed normal wear. Fuel system exhibited no anomalies. The propeller blades displayed forward and aft bends, tip curling, chordwise scratches, and nicks and gouges on leading edges.
The airframe fuel boost pump did not operate correctly due to a locked armature caused by a poor bearing condition. The manufacturer reported that the condition would have likely manifested over several months or years and was not from impact damage. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the engine should run normally using the engine-driven fuel pump during takeoffs, landings, and cruise; the electric boost pump is primarily used for priming during engine start, inflight restart, or engine-driven pump failure.
Additional Information
According to the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, a cross-control stall can occur when uncoordinated flight with opposite aileron and rudder inputs exceeds the critical angle of attack, often during a poorly planned base-to-final turn. The handbook advises using a go-around if overshooting and avoiding bank angles beyond 30° at low altitude.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies by the San Juan County Coroner's Office listed the cause of death for both occupants as "multiple blunt force trauma." The pilot had a chest cavity blood alcohol level of 0.013 g/100 mL and 80% atherosclerotic disease in his right coronary artery. No drugs of abuse were identified. FAA toxicology on the flight instructor was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and all tested-for drugs. On the pilot, 28 mg/dL ethanol was detected in cavity blood, along with Atenolol, Triamterene, and Famotidine. The report noted that some or all ethanol may have been from sources other than ingestion. The medications are not generally considered impairing.