N201GK

History of the Flight

On May 1, 1993, at about 1115 hours Mountain standard time, a Mooney M20J, N201GK, lost control on final approach and collided with terrain short of the approach end of Runway 3 at the Sedona Airport, Sedona, Arizona. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The certificated commercial pilot/owner and his passenger, a certificated commercial pilot, were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot filed and activated an instrument flight rules flight plan to Sedona, Arizona. The flight departed March AFB at 0857 hours. The pilot later canceled the flight plan and continued to Sedona under visual flight rules.

About 1115 hours, a pilot of another airplane witnessed the accident. The pilot/witness was flying from Phoenix, Arizona, intending to enter the airport traffic pattern and land at the Sedona Airport. At an altitude of 6,000 feet msl and approximately 1.5 miles south of the Sedona Airport, the pilot/witness heard the accident airplane transmit its position over the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). The pilot/witness was looking for the aircraft in the traffic pattern when he twice saw an airplane with its wing rolled 90 degrees from horizontal about 3/4 to 1/2 mile west of the approach end of Runway 3.

The pilot/witness estimated the accident airplane's altitude at that moment to have been approximately 5,000 feet msl. The pilot/witness described his recollection of the accident airplane's movement after he first visually acquired it, "like slow motion." The pilot/witness stated, "The nose dropped and the aircraft dropped vertically toward the earth, still in a slow motion state."

The pilot/witness further stated, " Just above the ground, the aircraft pulled out and started moving like lightning; at this moment it was angling toward the base of [the] airport mesa. The wings banked rapidly to the right and appeared to be climbing, now paralleling the base of the mesa and still moving rapidly. The wings then banked swiftly to the left, rolled inverted, and then split-S straight into the ground." The pilot/witness indicated that he saw no dust cloud nor smoke.

The pilot/witness estimated the accident airplane's maneuver took 6 to 10 seconds. The pilot/witness described that the motion of the accident airplane was so rapid in the last few seconds that it looked like a radio controlled model airplane. The pilot/witness then made a transmission on the CTAF and flew over the accident site.

Pilot Information

First Pilot

The first pilot held a commercial pilot certificate which was issued on December 1, 1986, and was based on military competency. The first pilot was an active duty member of the United States Air Force stationed at March AFB. The first pilot performed duties as a standardization/evaluation pilot in C-12F (a Beech 200) aircraft. The most recent second class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on October 17, 1991, and contained no limitations. The first pilot's last military flight physical was on October 28, 1992.

Review of the first pilot's most recent military flight record closeout revealed his total military aeronautical experience consisted of 3228.8 hours, of which 86.5 hours were in the last 90 days. According to the U.S. Air Force, the first pilot's most recent pilot proficiency check was accomplished in a C-12 simulator on May 15, 1992, at Flight Safety International, Wichita, Kansas. Also according to the U.S. Air Force, the flight proficiency check includes a review of high density altitude training.

According to the first pilot's civilian pilot logbook, his total civil aeronautical experience consists of about 297.2 hours, of which 131.7 hours were accrued in the Mooney M20J. In the preceding 90 and 30 days before the accident, the logbook lists a total of 25 and 13.9 hours, respectively, flown in the accident airplane.

In the preceding six months, the pilot had logged 6.1 hours of instrument flight experience in the Mooney M20J. The first pilot's civilian logbook lists eight flights since March 29, 1992, of which he flew four flights under instrument flight rules (IFR) logging all of the 6.1 flight hours. This does not include the accident flight where the first pilot filed IFR from March AFB. The first pilot's spouse indicated during an interview that it was common practice for her husband to file IFR and practice using the aircraft systems. When specifically asked about the autopilot, the spouse indicated, "He would use it, too."

The first pilot's log book also indicated that he had flown to the Sedona Airport on three previous occasions, twice in the accident airplane. The most recent flight before the accident was on August 11, 1992, during a personal flight that originated from Flagstaff, Arizona.

Second Pilot

The second pilot held a commercial pilot certificate which was issued on August 17, 1990, also based on military competency. The second pilot was also an active duty member of the United States Air Force stationed at March AFB. The second pilot performed duties as a military pilot in C-12F aircraft.

Review of the second pilot's most recent military flight record closeout revealed his total military aeronautical experience consisted of 1,161.8 hours, of which 80.5 hours were in the last 90 days. According to the U.S. Air Force, the first pilot's most recent pilot proficiency check was accomplished in a C-12 simulator on October 30, 1992, at Flight Safety International, Wichita, Kansas.

Aircraft Information

The airplane, a Mooney M20J, was manufactured in June 1977 and accrued about 2,394.6 hours. The weight and balance data for the airplane lists an Edo-Acre Mitchell Century IIB autopilot system, serial number 2B-1331, which was installed under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) at the time of airframe manufacture.

The STC requires an FAA approved airplane flight manual supplement, Part Number 68S424-1, dated April 15, 1977, for Mooney M20J owners. The manual supplement outlines the procedures to operate the autopilot system.

The manual supplement indicates an autopilot runaway could result in an uncontrolled bank and loss in altitude. The manual states, "An autopilot runaway, with a 1 second delay in the initiation of recovery, during an approach operation, coupled or uncoupled, could result in a 20 degree bank and 40 foot attitude loss." This equates to an average roll rate of approximately 20 degrees per second and an average rate of descent of approximately 2,400 feet per minute.

In this circumstance, the pilot must electrically disconnect the system by either pulling the circuit breaker or pushing the roll ON-OFF rocker switch located on the lower instrument panel to the OFF position.

The manual supplement indicated the autopilot can be overpowered at either control wheel. According to the autopilot manufacturer, a friction clutch in the roll servo is set to slip at thirty two pounds of pull, plus or minus four pounds, allowing the pilot to overpower the electrically engaged roll servo. (The pilot would have to continue to manually overpower the system under the electrical power was interrupted.) The autopilot installation specifications do not require a control wheel mounted electrical interrupt switch.

The clutch friction is set by the autopilot manufacturer at the time of manufacture or when returned to the factory for maintenance. According to the manufacturer, setting the friction of the clutch is only authorized to be performed at the factory. Accordingly, the autopilot manufacturer does not publish the friction specifications in the autopilot maintenance manual used by repair stations.

Examination of the maintenance records revealed that the most recent annual inspection was accomplished on the airplane on April 2, 1993. The accident flight was the fifth trip flown since the annual inspection, with the airplane accruing about 14 flight hours. Review of the annual inspection checklist revealed the autopilot system was inspected, and a post inspection operational flight check was accomplished. Additional maintenance was performed on the airplane's pitch trim switch and the stall warning horn was replaced. There was no evidence found in the airplane's maintenance records to indicate that the roll servo had been repaired or replaced since the airplane's manufacture.

Meteorological Information

The closest official weather observation station is at the Sedona Airport. At 1125 hours, a special surface observation reported in part: Sky condition and ceiling, clear; visibility, 50 statute miles; temperature, 76 degrees fahrenheit; dewpoint, 13 degrees fahrenheit; winds, 330 degrees at 10 knots; altimeter, 30.04" inHg.

Aerodrome and Ground Facilities

The Sedona Airport is owned and operated by the County of Yavapai. The published elevation of the airport is 4,827 feet MSL. The Airport Facility Directory lists the airport traffic pattern altitude at 1000 feet above the airport elevation with standard left turns.

The airport has a single surfaced runway on a 030 degree and 210 degree magnetic orientation. Runway 3 is 5,131 feet long by 75 feet wide, and is equipped with a visual approach slope indicator system (VASI). The VASI consists of a two light box system installed on the left side of the runway. The lights are pilot activated over the CTAF. The VASI approach angle is set at 3 degrees with a threshold crossing height of 53 feet. The elevation of Runway 3 at the approach end of the runway is 4,733 feet MSL.

Wreckage and Impact Information

The accident site was located on the southwest slope of Table Top Mountain about 500 feet short of Runway 3, and about 300 feet to the right of the runway centerline. The elevation of the accident site is about 150 feet below the elevation of the threshold of Runway 3. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose down attitude on an approximate 200 degree magnetic heading. A...