# Accident 20181209020659A: Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, Paramus, NJ, December 9, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 9, 2018, 12:10 local time
- Place: Paramus, NJ
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.9464° N, 74.0897° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9464&lon=-74.0897&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5756W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5756W-2021-04-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 916 total, 114 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA19LA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA062) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181209020659A

## Narrative

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

ON DECEMBER 9, 2018 N5756W, A MOONEY M20K, WITH FOUR PEOPLE ON BOARD DEPARTED LINCOLN PARK AIRPORT (N07)FOR A VFR 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 EASTERN TIME INTENDING TO FLY TO HUDSON VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (POU).  SHORTLY AFTER 1200, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1500 FEET, THE PILOT TURNED EAST TOWARDS THE HUDSON RIVER AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE RPM WAS ABOVE 2700.  THE PILOT TRIED ADJUSTMENTS, AND THE TEMPERATURE ON TWO CYLINDERS CONTINUED TO INCREASE.  MOMENTS LATER, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE AND SAW THE OIL SERVICE DOOR OPEN ON TOP OF THE ENGINE COWLING FOLLOWED BY A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE.  BECAUSE HE WAS FLYING UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 1500 FEET, THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT REACHING ANY AIRPORT FOR A SAFE LANDING WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE PARAMUS GOLF COURSE IN PARAMUS NEW JERSEY.  THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NINTH FAIRWAY, HEADING SOUTH, AND ROLLED OUT APPROXIMATELY 400 YARDS, AS EVIDENT BY TIRE MARKS ON FAIRWAY, AND CAME TO REST ON THE NINTH HOLE TEE BOX. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, RIGHT WING, AND PROPELLER. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR SPINAL INJURIES.

WHILE ONSITE, INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE REMOVED THE ENGINE COWLING AND NOTICED A HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CASE. THE INSPECTORS ALSO FOUND A PIECE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT LOCATED JUST AFT OF THE HOLE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.  TOOK A FUEL SAMPLE AND APPEARED TO BE CORRECT COLOR, CLEAR AND FREE OF WATER. CHECKED OIL LEVEL AND IT WAS AT 4 QTS.

RECORDS REVIEW SHOWED THE LAST AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS DONE AUGUST 15, 2018 BY AIRMEN AVIATION SERVICES IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.  THE ENGINE HAD A MAJOR OVERHAUL DONE ON JANUARY 11, 2016 BY PINE MOUNTAIN AVIATION LOCATED IN DANBURY, CONNETICUT.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED AND TAKEN TO AIR MODS IN TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.  THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER IN MOBILE, ALABAMA FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND TEST AS REQUESTED BY THE NTSB.

## 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 ERA19LA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA062), Dec 9, 2018: Mooney M20K (N5756W), Paramus, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel's improper assembly of the engine during overhaul, which resulted in lubrication restriction due to a bearing shift and the subsequent engine failure.

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.