What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On October 20, 2008, about 1315, a Mooney M20J, N201EN, collided with terrain during takeoff from runway 22 at Avalon airport. The pilot and two passengers were killed, one passenger sustained serious injuries. On scene investigation determinded the right wing tip of the aircraft contacted the runway surface approximately 2000 feet down the length of the runway. Passenger stated the aircraft was shaking/shuttering after lift-off. An eyewitness to the accident, who was located on the road below the airport departure runway, observed the aircraft in a nose down right wing low attitude as the aircraft departed the end of the runway and fell into the valley below resulting with a fire erupting in the area where the aircraft came to rest. The aircraft fuselage was destroyed as a result of the fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON OCTOBER 20, 2008, ABOUT 1315, A MOONEY M20J, N201EN, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 22 AT AVALON AIRPORT. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE KILLED, ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION DETERMINDED THE RIGHT WING TIP OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY. PASSENGER STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHAKING/SHUTTERING AFTER LIFT-OFF. AN EYEWITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT, WHO WAS LOCATED ON THE ROAD BELOW THE AIRPORT DEPARTURE RUNWAY, OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE DOWN RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND FELL INTO THE VALLEY BELOW RESULTING WITH A FIRE ERUPTING IN THE AREA WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.