Mooney M20R accident near Southport, NC
On June 25, 2023, a Mooney M20R (airplane) was involved in an accident near Southport, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 25, 2023
- Place
- Southport, NC
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20R · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.943°N, 78.063°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230625192440
Official records · ERA23FA273
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Ctaf Audio Recording (Mp3; 8 Minutes, 11 Seconds; 1mb): Audio recording (MP3), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 25, 2023, about 1620 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20R, N13LV, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Southport, North Carolina. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to a mechanic at Cape Fear Regional Jetport (SUT), Oak Island, North Carolina, the airplane had been in for maintenance since October 2022. The private pilot/owner had requested that the mechanic troubleshoot interior lighting, service the brakes, attach a standby vacuum hose, and repair an exhaust leak. The mechanic could not complete the work as he could not start and run up the engine due to dead batteries. When he inspected the batteries, he realized that they were unairworthy. Specifically, the airplane was designed with a 24-volt electrical system that utilized two 24-volt batteries; however, the mechanic found four 12-volt batteries installed. When the mechanic contacted the pilot about the discrepancy, the pilot instructed him to reinstall the four 12-volt batteries. The mechanic refused, as it would have been an unapproved and unairworthy installation. The pilot then stated that he wanted his airplane back. The mechanic told him that the airplane was unairworthy, as he had not completed repairs on it; he also noted that it was unairworthy on the invoice. On the day of the accident, witnesses at the airport observed excessive white exhaust smoke and oil leaking from the airplane onto the ground as it taxied from the mechanic’s hangar to runway 23 for takeoff. Short
Probable cause
The pilot’s improper decision to fly a known unairworthy airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to oil starvation.
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Browse: North Carolina · 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.
