Pilot Debrief

MOONEY M20 near Boulder, CO — 2014-10-27

Final reportCEN15FA030
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Date
2014-10-27
Location
Boulder, CO, USA
Airport
KBDU
Aircraft
MOONEY M20
Registration
N3539X
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1

Probable cause

The loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined by the postaccident examination, which was limited due to impact damage and postcrash fire.

NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported that, just after takeoff, the airplane rolled left to an inverted position and impacted terrain. One witness reported hearing abnormal engine sounds just before the impact, but other witnesses did not recall hearing anything abnormal. The pilot was departing to the east with a direct crosswind, and the sun was most likely in the pilot's eyes, but it could not be determined what effect this would have on the pilot's control of the airplane. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were found in the full power, rich mixture, and high rpm positions, respectively. However, the propeller blade signatures were consistent with the engine operating at a low power setting. A trace amount of water was found in the fuel divider; however, this could have come from post-accident firefighting measures. Due to impact and postcrash fire damage, fuel from the fuel tanks and lines was not available for examination, and the damage also precluded a functional test of the engine and related systems. The investigation could not determine if the engine lost power before the airplane rolled inverted.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • Photos
  • 12 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents12

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