Mooney M20J accident near American Falls, ID
On October 25, 2019, a Mooney M20J (airplane) was involved in an accident near American Falls, ID. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 25, 2019
- Place
- American Falls, ID
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.778°N, 112.895°W
- NTSB ID
- 20191025X65223
Official records · WPR20FA015
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 25, 2019, about 1200 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N201BJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near American Falls, Idaho. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A witness, who was driving about 2 miles from the accident site, reported that she observed an airplane flying at a low altitude, “barely above the treetops”. She stated that the airplane turned and then went straight down. Download from an onboard GPS unit revealed that the airplane departed the Dinsmore Airport (D63), Dinsmore, California, about 0711 Pacific daylight time, and travelled southeast for about 5 miles, then turned left to a heading of about 070° magnetic, consistent with a direct course to Boire Field Airport (ASH), Nashua, New Hampshire. The airplane climbed to about 11,800 ft and accelerated to about 175 knots ground speed. The airplane maintained that altitude, heading, and ground speed for about 430 miles. About 0923 the airplane diverged to the southeast and followed a track consistent with a direct course to American Falls Airport (U01), American Falls, Idaho. About 33 minutes later, the airplane began to descend. By 1008:44, the airplane had descended to 5,160 ft (760 ft above ground level [agl]) was about 3.5 miles from U01, and turned left 180°, opposite the location of a populated area. (See Figure 1). The last GPS data point was recorded at 1009:23 about 310 ft agl, 82 knots, and about 0.3 mile east of the accident site, and about 3.5 miles sho
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to ensure adequate fuel onboard and his subsequent failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an aerodynamic stall following a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to his use of marijuana.
More accidents in ID
- Boeing 737, Jan 9, 2021
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- Mitsubishi MU-2B-36, Jan 15, 1996
- Cessna T303, Mar 3, 1998
- Cessna TU-206-G, Jul 3, 1988
Browse: Idaho · 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.
