BLOOMINGTON, IL, USA
N302FW
MOONEY M20J
THE 69 YEAR OLD PILOT RETURNED TO THE HOME BASE AIRPORT AFTER A BUSINESS TRIP AND ENTERED A RIGHT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 3. WITNESSES DESCRIBED A VERY TIGHT, CLOSE-IN TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND STATED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS LOWER THAN THE NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN (ESTIMATED 400 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND). THEY STATED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS '...TILTING SLIGHTLY UPWARDS...' AND THEN THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STEEP ('KNIFE-EDGE') LEFT TURN AND DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR PILOT INCAPACITATION.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING THE TURN FROM BASE LEG TO FINAL APPROACH.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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