# Accident 20110129005209A: Mooney M20J, Death Valley Na, CA, January 29, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 29, 2011, 15:00 local time
- Place: Death Valley Na, CA
- Airport: Furnace Creek
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.3639° N, 116.8661° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3639&lon=-116.8661&mi=10
- Aircraft: N50BJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50BJ-2011-11-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR11FA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA114) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110129005209A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF ON NOVEMBER 29, 2011, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS APPROXIMATELY 6.7 MILES SOUTH OF THE FURNACE CREEK AIRPORT LOCATED IN THE DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A DRY LAKE BED COMPRISED OF AN EXTREMELY ROUGH, JAGGED AND HARD SURFACE.  THE INITIAL POINT(S) OF CONTACT WERE NOTED BY GROUND SCARS LEFT BY THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE.  THE LEFT WING SECTION WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE REMAINS OF THE FUSELAGE, RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE CAME TO REST 141 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT (FUSELAGE GROUND SCAR) WITH THE RIGHT WING UP AND THE FUSELAGE FACING IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THAT OF THE IMPACT.  THE NOSE AND COCKPIT SECTIONS OF THE FUSELAGE WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED AND CRUSHED BY POST IMPACT FORCES.  THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED.  THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE, NO IMMEDIATE INDICATIONS OF ENGINE FAILURE OR ANY OTHER EVIDENCE THAT MAY HAVE PROVIDED A REASON FOR THE ACCIDENT.  THE FUEL TANKS WERE COMPROMISED BY POST IMPACT FORCES SO NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ONBOARD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ON JANUARY 31, 2011 BY AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 AM.ON FEBRUARY 1, 2011, A WITNESS REPORTED TO THE NTSB THAT HE HAD WITNESSED "A MOONEY TYPE AIRCRAFT" TAXI OUT AND TAKE OFF ON JANUARY 29, 2011.  HE ESTIMATED THE TIME TO BE BETWEEN 1400 AND 1515.  THE WITNESS (WHO IS ALSO A PILOT) STATED HE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING ABNORMAL ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT AS IT TOOK OFF.  THE WITNESS WAS ALSO UNAWARE THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED UNTIL HEARING ABOUT THAT ACCIDENT ON THE NEWS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR11FA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA114), Jan 29, 2011: Mooney M20J (N50BJ), Furnace Creek, CA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The magneto clamps were not securely fastened to the mount, which led to a partial loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing on unsuitable terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.