History of Flight
On December 8, 2019, at approximately 1300 mountain standard time, a Mooney M20C airplane, registration N5557Q, was destroyed in an accident near Flower Pot, Arizona. The pilot, who was operating the aircraft as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, sustained fatal injuries. The accident site was discovered by a rancher on the morning of December 13, 2019.
No witnesses observed the impact, but individuals who saw the airplane earlier on December 8 came forward after learning of the crash. They were driving southbound on Interstate 17 near Munds Park, Arizona, when an orange and white low-wing airplane flew over their car at low altitude. The witnesses reported a low cloud ceiling with good visibility below the clouds. They provided three photographs of the airplane that showed it traveling in the same direction as the car, close to the ground, and appearing to follow the road. The pictures also depicted low clouds with mountain peaks obscured in the background. About 20 minutes after taking the photographs, in the approximate area of the accident site, the visibility reduced to about 1/4 mile and the clouds extended to the ground. Examination of one photograph indicated the airplane was about 227 feet above ground level.
Radar track data correlated to the accident airplane ended about 23 nautical miles northeast of the accident site but showed the airplane following Interstate 17 during the recorded portion of the flight. Based on altitude return data, the airplane operated at altitudes between about 250 and 1,600 feet above ground level during that segment. The straight-line course from Flagstaff to Phoenix was 193° and 90 nautical miles.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent first-class medical certificate was issued on October 14, 2019, with no limitations. At that time, he reported 110 hours of total flight experience, with 70 hours in the previous 6 months. The pilot's logbook was not available for review.
Aircraft Information
The pilot purchased the airplane on December 4, 2018. It is unknown if the pilot received any flight instruction or familiarization training in the airplane before the accident flight.
Meteorological Information
At approximately 0848, the pilot contacted the FAA Prescott Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) provider Leidos and requested a 6-hour outlook briefing. He was advised of several current AIRMETs: Sierra for mountain obscuration (terrain obscured by clouds, precipitation, and mist), Tango for turbulence, and Zulu for icing conditions.
At 1207, the pilot again contacted the Prescott AFSS and requested a standard briefing for a visual flight rules flight from Flagstaff, Arizona, to Phoenix, Arizona. He noted a planned altitude of 8,000 feet and an estimated enroute time of 30 minutes. The briefer advised of an AIRMET for moderate icing above 7,000 feet and a Center Weather Advisory for icing about 20 miles south of the intended destination. The pilot was also informed of an AIRMET for mountain obscuration covering the entire route and an AIRMET for instrument flight rules conditions over northern Arizona. The briefer indicated marginal VFR conditions with scattered rain showers along the route.
At 1255, the recorded weather at Sedona Airport, Sedona, Arizona, included wind from 160° at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet above ground level, broken clouds at 1,800 feet, overcast clouds at 6,000 feet, temperature 10°C, dewpoint 9°C, and altimeter setting 30.04 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted terrain about 1 mile east of Interstate 17 on a heading of approximately 60°. The main wreckage came to rest about 320 feet from the initial impact point. Examination of the airplane, engine, propeller, and control system revealed no preimpact anomalies. The propeller exhibited leading edge nicks and S-shaped bending.
Additional Information
The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute's publication "Introduction to Aviation Physiology" defines spatial disorientation as a loss of proper bearings; state of mental confusion as to position, location, or movement relative to the position of the earth. The FAA’s Airplane Flying Handbook describes hazards associated with flying when the ground or horizon are obscured, noting that the vestibular sense can confuse the pilot due to inertia and inability to detect slight or uniform attitude changes, potentially leading to spatial disorientation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot conducted on December 16, 2019, by the Yavapai County Medical Examiner's Office attributed the cause of death to multiple injuries received during the accident. No significant natural disease was identified. Toxicology testing performed at the request of the medical examiner by Axis Forensic Toxicology found cavity blood and urine negative for alcohols and drugs of abuse. Testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified ethanol at 0.015 gm/dl in cavity blood, as well as N-propanol and N-butanol. No ethanol or other alcohols were found in vitreous or urine. Ethanol may be produced postmortem by microbial activity, and N-propanol and N-butanol can also be produced in postmortem fluids.