2018 Mooney Fatal Accidents

[irishpilot]

This post serves to post the 2018 Mooney Fatal Accidents so we can learn and discuss prevention methods in an effort to lower future fatal accidents for our community. I'll break down the info as best I can, and I will highlight possible causes if they are not identified by the NTSB.

In 2018, there were seven fatal accidents resulting in 9 fatalities.

02/2018 - CFIT (final report) - The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a visual approach in dark night visual meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

03/2018 - Loss of aircraft control (final report) - The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin. Report speculates that a possible factor was the pilot's seat slide back. There is not enough evidence to support that claim but it is something that has caused Mooney crashes.

04/2018 - Loss of aircraft control (final report) - The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while departing in instrument meteorological conditions, moderate turbulence, and low-level wind shear, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. *My take: this could have also been spatial disorientation which drove loss of aircraft control. 

08/01/2018 - Loss of aircraft control (final report) - Loss of aircraft control in the final turn. The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in a cross-control aerodynamic stall, spin, and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action in preventing the stall.

08/11/2018 - Loss of aircraft control (final report) - Loss of aircraft control in the final turn. The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the landing approach as a result of his diversion of attention after a series of non-essential aircraft systems became inoperative following the failure of the engine-driven vacuum pump, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.

09/2018 - Loss of aircraft control (final report) - The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during a go-around due to his premature flap retraction, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.

11/2018 - Collision with terrain (final Report) - for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's poor preflight planning and poor decision to depart on the accident flight.

 

Recommendations/takeaways for us:

1. For 2018, Loss of aircraft control accounts for 71% of Mooney fatalities. This is statistically significant and much higher than 2017. 

2. Task management and misprioritization of a non-critical system malfunction are contributing factors in two of these accidents. Systems knowledge and a good scan of available instrument data can help pilots correctly identify the malfunction and categorize it as a "land as soon as possible" vs "land as soon as practical." For us at Mooneyspace, when is the last time you read the POH and reviewed critical systems such as your electric, fuel, and vacuum setup? If you can't remember, please set aside some time to study.

3. For those of us who are CFI/CFII, the 08/01/18 crash should serve as a reminder to know when a student/pilot has exceeded their limits and take aircraft control prior to exceeding yours. Everyone has techniques, but for those who are new CFIs, realize be conservative in your approach. Sometimes, pilot error can put the plane in such a position that there is no time for a verbal correction, and a physical intervention is required to maintain a flying attitude.

4. 2018 saw a 42% higher accident rate compared to 2017 Mooney fatal accidents. Also of note, none of the fatal accidents in 2018 were related to catastrophic mechanical failure such as engine or structural failure. Lack of proficiency, lack of currency, and a breakdown in instrument crosscheck led to loss of situational awareness for almost all of these accidents. For those who fly regularly for travel, set aside some time to practice approaches and landings, or practice instrument approaches. For those have large breaks in flying, spend the time with a CFI and focus on tasks you are rusty or weak at and build your proficiency and confidence.

These are just my observations and thoughts on how to help our community analyze accidents and how to incorporate what we learn into our safety culture. 

[toto]

Thanks for posting this, and for the effort that went into it. 

It's always good to be reminded that training and proficiency are critical factors in the successful outcome of a flight, and we should be careful not to focus too much on things that are relatively unlikely to kill us. 

[Parker_Woodruff]

Every one of the airports listed, with the exception of Chuckanut, WA (assuming BLI was the airport) has either a high density altitude or a shorter runway (~3600 is the longest runway other than BLI or SAF).

I wonder if there is some tense maneuvering going on at these shorter runways.

[irishpilot]

@Parker_Woodruff, I agree. Compounding factors such as higher true airspeed, pilot proficiency with DA and decreased aircraft performance all contribute to pilot task load.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

[GeeBee]

Interesting. No long bodies.

 

 

[Hank]

Whew! Glad I don't fly out west! All happened in West Coast states, except the one in Santa Fe.

But after 18 months, I do find myself getting spoiled by the 5000' runway that I'm on now. But flying to EAA meetings at a 3000' field with no weather reporting helps keep me sharp. (Ten+ years of the 13 I've owned have been at a 3000' or 3200' field with no weather.)

[carusoam]

Yay no LBs...

Proof that There aren’t that many LBs in circulation...

Unfortunately, MS has lost two LBs, more recently than this data...

Haven’t seen the final reports yet...

No rest for the weary...  

Thanks IP!

Best regards,

-a-

[skykrawler]

The N231-EC reads like an engine out training accident.   We know what happens when the throttle is closed, the airplane is dirty and its not allowed to descend.

[carusoam]

On 1/18/2021 at 8:08 AM, irishpilot said:

 

These are just my observations and thoughts on how to help our community analyze accidents and how to incorporate what we learn into our safety culture. 

Irish,

is there a way to share the live links in this really nice chart?

Or am I doing something incorrectly...

Seeing skykrawler’s input above gave me some insight, and wanted to check more details...

Best regards,

-a-

Edited January 20, 2021 by carusoam

[irishpilot]

8 hours ago, carusoam said:

Irish,

is there a way to share the live links in this really nice chart?

Or am I doing something incorrectly...

Seeing skykrawler’s input above gave me some insight, and wanted to check more details...

Best regards,

-a-

I don't think I can save the CAROL query, so here is a snip from their excel output with the docket link for each one:

CEN19FA032	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98687
ERA19FA023	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98530
WPR18FA251	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98235
WPR18FA218	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98042
WPR18FA210	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97975
ANC18FA028	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96996
WPR18FA112	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96933
ANC18FA024	https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96733