History of Flight
On March 14, 2019, at about 1815 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20C, registration N6075Q, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Cashiers, North Carolina. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot obtained a weather briefing the night before and filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The airplane departed Knoxville Downtown Island Airport (DKX), Knoxville, Tennessee, at about 1724, destined for Aiken Regional Airport (AIK), Aiken, South Carolina. Radar data showed the airplane climbing on course.
At about 1743, the pilot reported level at 9,000 ft to air traffic control (ATC). The controller provided the Knoxville altimeter setting. Around 1758, the controller noted a significant turn and asked if the pilot was alright; the pilot responded he was correcting. At 1800, the controller cleared the pilot direct to AIK. Two minutes later, the controller observed an overcorrection to the left and asked if the pilot had lost his altimeter; the pilot replied he had lost his attitude indicator, clarifying it as the artificial horizon.
At 1805, the controller asked if the pilot was in clouds and if the failed attitude indicator would be an issue. The pilot confirmed being in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The controller offered a lower altitude, and the pilot requested lower; the controller assigned 7,200 ft. At 1807, the controller asked if the pilot was trying to find clear skies; the pilot's response was unintelligible, followed by no response to two calls. The pilot then responded, partially unintelligibly, that he was trying to reduce speed. The controller reiterated the lowest available altitude was 7,200 ft; the pilot said he was still in IMC.
Another sector controller took over and instructed the pilot to focus on keeping wings level and fly south, asking if he saw visual conditions. The pilot responded he was in IMC. The controller continued to guide the pilot, advising him to fly south and maintain wings level. The pilot reported his heading indicator was not functional, but his magnetic compass worked. The controller suggested using the electric turn indicator; the pilot said he did not have one. At 1813, the controller noted the airplane was in a shallow left turn and asked the pilot to stop the turn; the pilot said the airplane was "somewhat under control." The controller advised the airplane was at 6,500 ft, below the minimum IFR altitude. At 1815, radar contact was lost, and no further communications were received.
Personnel Information
A logbook recovered from the wreckage showed the pilot had 1,957 total flight hours, with 1,662 hours in the accident airplane make and model. Between July and December 2018, the pilot logged 1.2 hours of actual instrument and 1.9 hours of simulated instrument time across four flights. Two of those flights, in July and December, each noted six instrument approaches. No flights were logged between December 2018 and the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was equipped with an attitude indicator and directional gyroscope powered by an engine-driven vacuum pump. A standby vacuum system, installed in 1992, utilized engine intake manifold vacuum and was controlled by a panel-mounted valve. Maintenance records for the five years preceding the accident contained no entries for inspection or maintenance of the vacuum system or vacuum-driven instruments. The altimeter system and transponder tests were performed on July 24, 2018.
Meteorological Information
The pilot requested a weather briefing about 21 hours before departure via ForeFlight. The briefing did not cover the departure time. AIRMET advisories Sierra and Tango were valid for the accident area at the time: Sierra warned of mountain obscuration due to clouds, precipitation, and mist; Tango warned of moderate turbulence below 12,000 ft and low-level wind shear.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was found in mountainous, forested terrain in a debris field about 50 ft in circumference. Tree tops around the impact site were damaged. The fuselage came to rest inverted, nose down vertically on a 60° magnetic heading at an elevation of 3,892 ft. All major components were accounted for. Flight control continuity could not be confirmed due to multiple push/pull tube breaks with overload signatures.
Cockpit instruments were crushed or destroyed. The standby vacuum system components were not recovered. The attitude indicator was destroyed. The vacuum pump and directional gyroscope were examined. The pump's urethane shear coupling was fractured transversely with melted and resolidified material. The vacuum pump rotor was fragmented, and the housing showed wear scarring. The directional gyroscope housing was crushed; the rotor rotated freely, and a bearing race was fractured due to overstress.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing detected ethanol at 0.047 g/dL in the liver and 0.030 g/dL in muscle.