Mooney M20E accident near Marina, CA
On March 26, 2018, a Mooney M20E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Marina, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 26, 2018
- Place
- Marina, CA
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.676°N, 121.757°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180326X54912
Official records · WPR18FA112
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 26, 2018, about 1053 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20E airplane, N213EJ, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from runway 29 at Marina Municipal Airport (OAR), Marina, California. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which had originated from Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI), Watsonville, California. The pilot kept his airplane in a hangar at WVI. According to WVI operations personnel, the pilot parked his car just outside the airport operations office about 0954 and came into the office to request a fuel top off for his airplane, which was in his hangar. The operations supervisor noticed that the pilot's ability to walk had significantly deteriorated since he last saw the pilot a few months prior, but that the pilot appeared to be in good spirits. The airplane was subsequently serviced with 25.4 gallons of fuel. A WVI surveillance camera recorded the airplane taking runway 20 for departure at 1035:54. The airplane landed at OAR, which is located about 15 miles south of WVI. No radio communications to or from the airplane were recorded at WVI, en route, or OAR. No witnesses were identified who could provide information about the pilot's activities at OAR in the minutes preceding the accident, including whether the accident takeoff was part of a touch-and-go landing, or was preceded by a full-stop landing. Ho
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
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Browse: California · Mooney aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
