Mooney M20C accident near Santa Fe, NM
On November 27, 2018, a Mooney M20C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Santa Fe, NM. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 27, 2018
- Place
- Santa Fe, NM
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.617°N, 106.089°W
- NTSB ID
- 20181126X35126
Official records · CEN19FA032
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn November 26, 2018, about 1950 mountain standard time, a Mooney M20C airplane, N113TA, impacted terrain about 1/3-mile south of the Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF), Santa Fe, New Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire. The airplane was registered to Nelson Flying Service and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on flight plan. The flight originated from the Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR), Goodyear, Arizona, about 1500 and was destined for the Colorado Plains Airport (AKO), Akron, Colorado. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicate that the airplane was repossessed from the previous owner on June 7, 2018. The accident owner subsequently purchased the airplane from the repossessing bank on September 27, 2018. On November 25, 2018, at 2010, the pilot sent a text message to a friend stating, "Found 113TA. Clear across the field and gathering dust." At 2023, he sent another text message noting that he planned to be "in the air" tomorrow by 1030 and at AKO about 1400. Personnel at the fixed base operator (FBO) at GYR reported that the pilot arrived at the airport the day before the accident and slept in the pilot lounge. While at the airport, the pilot installed a new battery in the airplane, borrowed a 5-gallon bucket, possibly for an oil change, and requested use of an air compressor. The pilot also purchased an FAA mechanic handbook. FBO person
Probable cause
Collision with terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's poor preflight planning and poor decision to depart on the accident flight.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
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- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · 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.
