N400DE

History of Flight

On September 30, 2009, at 1237 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20M airplane, N400DE, was substantially damaged during a post-impact fire after colliding with trees and terrain near Albany, Indiana. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by N400DE, LLC, Ada, Michigan, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was operating on an instrument flight plan. The personal flight originated from the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (KGRR) near Grand Rapids, Michigan, about 0927.

At 0831, the pilot contacted the Kankakee Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) to file an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and obtain a standard weather briefing. The planned route of flight was KGRR direct to the Traverse City (TVC) VHF Omnidirectional Range/Tactical Aircraft Control (VORTAC) at an altitude of 25,000 feet (FL250), with a return to the departure airport (KGRR) for landing. The pilot confirmed with the briefer that he did not intend to land at Cherry Capital Airport (KTVC), Traverse City, Michigan. After filing the flight plan, the briefer provided the pilot a standard weather briefing.

At 0918, the pilot contacted Grand Rapids ground control for taxi clearance. The pilot told the ground controller that he had already filed an IFR flight plan, but would like to stay in the local traffic pattern to practice touch-and-go takeoffs and landings before picking up his IFR clearance. The ground controller issued a visual flight rules (VFR) transponder code and taxi instructions to runway 35.

At 0927, the flight was cleared for takeoff on runway 35. After departure, the pilot performed two touch-and-go takeoffs and landings before requesting his instrument clearance. At 0942, the flight was cleared direct TVC VORTAC and to climb to 19,000 feet (FL190). At 0944, the pilot was told to contact Grand Rapids departure control who cleared the flight to maintain an altitude of 10,000 feet. At 0952, the pilot was told to contact Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) who cleared the flight to maintain FL190.

At 0957:05, the pilot established radio contact with Minneapolis ARTCC and reported climbing through 14,500 feet for FL250. The pilot subsequently corrected himself, and advised the controller that his altitude clearance was actually FL190. The controller then cleared the flight to FL230. At 1001:35, the pilot was told to contact another Minneapolis ARTCC frequency. At 1002:03, the pilot reestablished radio contact with Minneapolis ARTCC and the flight was cleared to its final cruise altitude of 25,000 feet (FL250). At 1002:14, the pilot acknowledged the clearance to FL250. At this time the airplane was climbing through 18,500 feet.

At 1009:44, as the airplane was climbing through 24,200 feet, the controller asked the pilot what his intentions were upon reaching the TVC VORTAC. The pilot responded at 1009:52, but the recorded audio was unintelligible with excessive background noise. A written statement by the controller indicated that the pilot requested to make a course-reversal upon reaching the TVC VORTAC. At 1009:56, the controller cleared the flight to make a left or right course-reversal upon reaching the TVC VORTAC. At 1010:01, a momentary, 1-second, unintelligible transmission was recorded. No additional audio communications were received from the pilot for the remainder of the flight.

The flight continued northbound toward the TVC VORTAC, reaching FL250 at 1011:10. At 1038:04, the controller asked the pilot how long he wanted to stay at FL250. There was no response. At 1038:59, the airplane crossed over the TVC VORTAC, and made a right turn southbound direct toward KGRR. The controller attempted to reestablish contact with the flight several times without success. At 1042:24, after not receiving a response of any kind, the controller cleared the flight to descend to 17,000 feet. There was no response of any kind, and the flight continued southbound at FL250.

At 1047:54, the controller noted a transponder ident (highlighted radar target on a controller's radarscope) that was associated with the accident flight. The controller acknowledged the transponder ident over the radio and cleared the flight to descend to 11,000 feet. There continued to be no response of any kind as the flight continued southbound at FL250. At 1106:19, the airplane passed directly over KGRR at FL250 while on the southbound track.

At 1133:43, the flight was intercepted by two National Guard F-16 fighter jets at FL250 over Columbia City, Indiana. The F-16 fighters continued to follow the airplane for the remainder of the flight. At 1147:59, about 4.1 miles west of Delaware County Regional Airport (KMIE), Muncie, Indiana, the airplane entered a series of right turns at FL250. At 1151:58, one of the F-16 pilots reported that the accident pilot was unresponsive, lying against the pilot-side cockpit window, and was possibly hypoxic. At 1209:02, about 14.1 miles south of KMIE, the airplane began flying a north-northeast heading at FL250. At 1216:37, about 4.3 miles southeast of KMIE, the airplane began a slow descent from FL250 while maintaining the north-northeast track. The slow descent continued until 1227:33, at which point the airplane turned quickly to a southeast heading and entered a more rapid descent. The last radar return was recorded at 1236:19, about 3.8 miles west of Albany, Indiana, at 6,100 feet.

The airplane subsequently collided with trees and a cornfield about 0.5 miles southeast of the final radar return. The postimpact fire that ensued destroyed most of the fuselage structure.

Personnel Information

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the accident pilot, age 43, held a commercial pilot certificate, issued on September 29, 1985, with airplane single and multi-engine land and instrument ratings. He also held an expired flight instructor certificate, issued on July 13, 1995, with airplane single and multi-engine land and instrument ratings. His last aviation medical examination was completed on August 22, 2007, when he was issued a second-class medical certificate with no limitations. A search of FAA records showed no accident, incident, enforcement, or disciplinary actions.

The most recent pilot logbook entry was dated August 30, 2009. At that time, the pilot had accumulated 1,595.1 hours total flight time, of which 1,447.2 hours were as pilot-in-command. He had accumulated 1,275.4 hours in single-engine airplanes, 242.6 hours in multi-engine airplanes, 124.0 hours at night, and 260.4 hours in actual instrument conditions. He had flown 427.7 hours in the accident airplane since accepting delivery from the manufacturer on September 26, 2003.

According to the logbook information, the pilot had flown 46.4 hours during the past year, 27.1 hours during the prior 6 months, and 16.5 hours during previous 90 days. All of the flight time accumulated during the prior year was completed in the accident airplane, besides a 1-hour flight that was completed in a Cessna model 515 corporate jet.

According to a flight-tracking website, the accident airplane had flown two additional flights since the last pilot logbook entry. These two flight legs totaled about 1.8 hours. The accident flight was the only flight recorded during the previous 24 hours.

The pilot's most recent flight review and instrument competency check was completed in the accident airplane on March 9, 2009, and March 16, 2009, respectively.

Aircraft Information

The accident airplane was a 2003 Mooney model M20M airplane, serial number (s/n) 27-0320. The airplane was a low wing, all-metal, single-engine, four-place monoplane. The airplane had a certified maximum takeoff weight of 3,368 pounds. The airplane was equipped for operation under instrument flight rules and in known icing-conditions. A Lycoming model TIO-540-AF1B turbocharged reciprocating engine, s/n L-10817-61A, powered the airplane. The 270-horsepower engine provided thrust through a McCauley model B3D32C417-D, s/n 001737, constant-speed, three-blade, metal propeller.

The accident airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on September 9, 2003. The pilot purchased the airplane from the manufacturer on September 29, 2003. The recording hour meter was destroyed during the postimpact ground fire, which prevented the determination of the total service time at the time of the accident. The airframe, engine, and propeller had a total service time of 450.6 hours at the last annual inspection, which was completed on April 13, 2009. On July 7, 2009, tests on the static system, altimeter system, automatic pressure altitude reporting system, and transponder were completed at a total service time of 462.8 hours. The last recorded maintenance was performed on August 21, 2009, at a total service time 463.2 hours, to diagnose and resolve excessive temperatures observed on the Nos. 2 and 5 engine cylinders. A postaccident review of the maintenance records found no history of unresolved airworthiness issues.

The airplane had total fuel capacity of 95 gallons, of which 89 gallons were usable, distributed evenly between two wing fuel tanks. The fuel tank selector valve draws fuel from one tank at a time. According to fueling documentation, the airplane was serviced with 50 gallons of aviation fuel before departing on the accident flight. The airplane's fuel consumption at 25,000 feet was between 12.1 gallons per hour (gph) and 16.6 gph, depending on the selected engine rpm and manifold pressure setting.

The airplane was equipped with two Garmin model GNS 530 devices. The GNS 530 was a combined global positioning system/navigation/communication device. The airplane was also equipped with a Honeywell model KC225 two-axis automatic flight control system. The integration of these two avionic devices could have allo...