# Accident 20110718018249A: Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, Augusta, GA, July 18, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 18, 2011, 12:22 local time - Place: Augusta, GA - Airport: Bush Field - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.3672° N, 81.9539° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3672&lon=-81.9539&mi=10 - Aircraft: N777CV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N777CV-2012-09-17) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 -NB STC - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 8,600 total, 4,000 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11FA406](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA406) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110718018249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JULY 18 AT THIS OFFICE WAS CONTACTED APPROXIMATELY 13:35 LOCAL BY STANDARD AERO IN AUGUSTA REPORTING A POSSIBLE AIRPLANE CRASH. THE AUGUSTA REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY WAS CONTACTED BY THIS OFFICE AND CONFIRMED THAT AN ACCIDENT HAD TAKEN PLACE AT 12:23. THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER WAS ADVISED. THIS INSPECTOR WAS REQUESTED TO RESPOND TO THE ACCIDENT AND DEPARTED THE OFFICE TO AUGUSTA. AT 16:30 THE FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE AND REPORTED TO THE OPERATIONS PERSONNEL AT THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY. THE NTSB ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 17:00 AND IT WAS MUTUALLY AGREED THAT THE MECHANIC INVOLVED WITH THE AIRCRAFT WOULD BE INTERVIEWED BEFORE THE CRASH SITE IS VISITED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPRESENTING RACE CITY AVIATION OF MOORESVILLE, NC. WAS INTERVIEWED. DURING THE INTERVIEW, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE FLEW DOWN TO AUGUSTA BUSH FIELD WITH THE OWNER (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) OF N777CV IN A BONANZA (N572T). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INDICATED THAT THE OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS A PERSONAL FRIEND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS GOING TO FLY THE BONANZA BACK TO MOORESVILLE BEHIND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN N777CV. DURING THE PREPARATION TO FLY (FRIDAY 07/15/2011), THE BATTERY WOULD NOT TURN ON. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY CABLE WAS DISCONNECTED AT THE SOLENOID. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECONNECTED THE CABLE. DURING THE RUN UP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOTICED THAT THE PROPELLER CONTROL WAS BACKWARDS. WHEN THE CONTROL WAS PUSHED IN THE RPM REDUCED. THE OWNER WAS ADVISED. ON MONDAY 07/18, 2011 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD PREVIOUSLY (07/15/2011) COMPLAINED THAT THE RIGHT BRAKE WAS SOFT AND^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BLEED THE BRAKES. THE OWNER PROCEEDED TO RUN UP THE AIRCRAFT AND CYCLED THE PROP AND TAXIED OUT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN TAXIED OUT WITH THE BONANZA (N572T). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (N777CV) WAS CLEARED TO DEPART RUNWAY 17 AND TOOK OFF. ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNUSUALLY LOUD AND NOT CLIMBING VERY FAST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING A SHALLOW LEFT TURN TO A HEADING OF 090 AND THE RPM NOISE CONTINUED TO INCREASE. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE SLOW AND NOT CLIMBING. AN AUDIBLE "POP" WAS HEARD BY SEVERAL WITNESSES AND AN OBJECT FELL OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ANOTHER 200 YARDS OR SO AND THEN BANKED SHARPLY LEFT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A STEEP ANGLE. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO SPIN. BEFORE THE INSPECTION OF THE SITE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF RACE CITY AVIATION ARRIVED AT THE FBO TO PICK UP^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INTERVIEWED AND GAVE A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO INSPECTORS. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NO ENTRIES WERE MADE IN THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK FOR THE PROPELLER INSTALLATION OR INTERIM REPAIRS MADE RACE CITY AVIATION TO FERRY THE AIRCRAFT TO MORRESVILLE. ON APRIL 11, 2011 THE AIRCRAFT WAS PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND LANDED GEAR UP AT AUGUSTA (ERA11CA238). ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALSO INDICATED THAT HE WAS FRIENDS WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BROUGHT THE PROPELLER TO BE INSTALLED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ASKED IF HE VERIFIED THE CONFIGURATION FOR THE PROPELLER INSTALLATION AND HE INDICATED NO. AT APPROXIMATELY 18:30 THE CRASH SITE WAS INSPECTED BY FAA AND NTSB REPRESENTATIVES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A MCCAULEY PROPELLER MODEL 2A34C50-OP SERIAL NUMBER 822899 WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS FROM THE CRASH SITE (N 33 22.042 W 081 57.233). THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH EYE WITNESS REPORTS ABOUT AN OBJECT FALLING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. LISTED BELOW ARE THE PERTINENT FACTS IN THE INSPECTOR FIELD NOTES SECTION.INSPECTOR FIELD NOTES;ACCORDING TO RECORDS THE ANNUAL WAS DUE AT THE END OF APRIL 2011.AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE TACHOMETER INDICATOR DISPLAYED APPROXIMATELY 2723.3 HOURS. THIS IS BASED ON THE PREVIOUS ACCIDENT DATA. THE CRASH SITE (N 33 22.042 W 081 57.233) HAS AN INITIAL IMPACT CRATER 2 FEET DEEP AND 3' BY 3' LOCATED 3 FEET FROM THE ENGINE FLANGE.THE WRECKAGE WAS HEADING 180 DEGREES. THE FLIGHT PATH WAS 090 DEGREES.THERE WAS EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FROM POST CRASH FIRE, THE MAGNETOS WERE BROKEN FROM THE MOUN ## 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 ERA11FA406](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA406), Jul 18, 2011: Mooney M20K (N777CV), Augusta, GA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to fly the airplane after maintenance personnel advised him that the airplane should not be flown because the pilot provided an incorrect propeller for installation and the… ## Other reports on N777CV (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20110411008469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110411008469A), Apr 11, 2011: Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K (N777CV), Augusta, GA, Substantial damage. On April 11, 2011 I was contacted by flm at approximately 0759 am to respond to an accident at ags (Augusta Bush Field). I was currently at Augusta, daniel… 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.