20180803009809A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mooney M20J · Lopez Island, WA · August 3, 2018

Date: August 3, 2018 · 00:02 local
Place: Lopez Island, WA
Airport: Lopez Island Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N56039
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR18FA210
Reported as: Mooney M20J
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,485 total

N56039Registration cancelled Apr 24, 2019 · Mooney M20JS/N 24-1358 · Built 1982 Airframe modelMooney M20J

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Accident aircraft observed by commercial pilot who was in flight at the time of the accident. Witness reports accident aircraft announcing intentions to land at Lopez Island Airport, moving slowly just north of the airport. Subsequently witness observed the accident aircraft exhibit a loss of control and a helical flight path straight down to the point of impact with the local terrain.

As the FAA filed it

ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT OBSERVED BY COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO WAS IN FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WITNESS REPORTS ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ANNOUNCING INTENTIONS TO LAND AT LOPEZ ISLAND AIRPORT, MOVING SLOWLY JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY WITNESS OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT EXHIBIT A LOSS OF CONTROL AND A HELICAL FLIGHT PATH STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE POINT OF IMPACT WITH THE LOCAL TERRAIN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR18FA210Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportLopez Island, WAThe pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in a cross-control aerodynamic stall, spin, and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial…Aug 3, 2018 · Substantial damage