# Accident 20191208022129A: Mooney M20C, Flower Pot, AZ, December 8, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 8, 2019, 13:15 local time
- Place: Flower Pot, AZ
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4794° N, 111.9892° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4794&lon=-111.9892&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5557Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5557Q-2020-10-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20C (registry code 5870208, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 151 total, 104 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN20FA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20FA034) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191208022129A

## Narrative

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

ON 12/13/2019 A RANCHER TENDING CATTLE FOUND THE WRECKAGE OF AN AIRCRAFT.  ON 12/15/2019 THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE PILOT REPORTED HIM MISSING SAYING THAT HE HAD DEPARTED FLAGSTAFF ON 12/08/2019 HEADING TO DVT.  WITTINESS DRIVING BACK FROM FLAGSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHED A MOONY AIRCRAFT FLYING LOW OVER I-17 IN CONDITIONS OF LOW VISIBILITY.   RADAR INFORMATION SHOWED N5557Q FLYING ALONG I-17 IN SAME AREA AND TIME AS WITNESS PHOTO.

FROM GROUND SCARING INITIAL IMPACT APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY LEFT WING LOW AND SEPARATING PROPELLER AT THAT POINT WITH CRANKSHAFT SHOWING 45 DEGREE SHEAR LIPS. SECOND POINT OF IMPACT WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS DUE EAST OF INITIAL IMPACT.  WRECKAGE WAS INVERTED LENGTHWISE WITH POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMING MUCH OF THE FUSELAGE.

CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS PARTIALLY CONFIRMED ONSITE AND COMPLETED AT SALVAGE YARD.

## 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 CEN20FA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20FA034), Dec 8, 2019: Mooney M20C (N5557Q), Flower Pot, AZ, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to initiate and continue the visual flight rules flight into an area of forecast instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial…

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.

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