# Accident 20210807013489A: Mooney M20M, Victoria, MN, August 7, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 7, 2021, 17:40 local time - Place: Victoria, MN - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 44.8591° N, 93.6633° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.8591&lon=-93.6633&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9156Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9156Z) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20M (registry code 5870222, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20m) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20M - Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 3 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21FA360](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA360) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210807013489A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 2021-08-07 1740 CDT, N9156Z, MOONEY M20M, ON APPROACH TO KFCM MADE A RAPID DESCENT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 9.5 MILES WEST OF THE RUNWAY. ON MOONEY M20M, N9156Z, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR VICTORIA, MINNESOTA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. A REVIEW OF PRELIMINARY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL INFORMATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CHANDLER FIELD AIRPORT (AXN), ALEXANDRA, MINNESOTA, AT 1654 ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN AND CLIMBED TO 5,000 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) ENROUTE TO FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT (FCM), MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. AFTER A DESCENT TO 3,000 FT MSL, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO FLY THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS) APPROACH TO RUNWAY 10R AT FCM. ABOUT 9.5-MILES FROM THE RUNWAY WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE TRACKED LEFT OF THE ILS COURSE AND DESCENDED BELOW 2,700 FT MSL. THE AIRPLANE THEN TRANSITIONED TO A RIGHT TURN AND DESCENDED BELOW 2,500 FT MSL, WHICH TRIGGERED A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT TO THE FCM TOWER CONTROLLER. THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED A SAFETY ALERT, WHICH THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN AND ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT, DURING WHICH RADAR CONTACT AND COMMUNICATIONS WERE LOST. A DISTRESS CALL WAS NOT TRANSMITTED. SEVERAL WITNESSES HEARD LOUD POPPING NOISES AND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN A RAPID DESCENT WITH BOTH WINGS ?FOLDED UP?. REVIEW OF SECURITY VIDEO NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS UPRIGHT AT GROUND IMPACT, WITH BOTH WINGS DEFLECTED UP TOWARD A VERTICAL POSITION. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND A POST IMPACT FIRE ENSUED. BOTH WINGS WERE FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE, WITH THE LEFT- AND RIGHT-WING MAIN AND REAR SPARS FRACTURED NEAR THE WING RIB OUTBOARD OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LEFT ELEVATOR WERE FOUND ABOUT 720 AND 800 FT SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, RESPECTIVELY. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRPLANE?S FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. A 6-INCH SECTION OF THE MAIN WING SPAR UPPER CAP SPLICE WAS FOUND ABOUT 300 FT SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. INITIAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SEPARATED ABOUT 6 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE THREE OUTBOARD HINGE BLOCKS OF THE LEFT ELEVATOR REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, WITH THE RIVETS PULLED OUT AND SHEARED OFF THE ELEVATOR. THE MAIN AND REAR WINGS SPARS WERE HIGHLY FRAGMENTED IN THE CENTER OF THE AIRPLANE BETWEEN THE SEPARATED LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS. AN 18-INCH SECTION OF THE MAIN WING LOWER SPAR CAP, LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF THE MAIN WING SPAR, WAS FRACTURED AT BOTH ENDS. THE PROPELLER WAS SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE. TWO PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT AFT, ONE BLADE WAS CURLED FORWARD, AND ALL THREE BLADES EXHIBITED CHORDWISE AND LEADING-EDGE SCARING. THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT WAS ROTATED, WITH NORMAL THUMB COMPRESSION OBTAINED AT ALL CYLINDERS. THE AIRPLANE WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. ## 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 CEN21FA360](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA360), Aug 7, 2021: Mooney M20M (N9156Z), Victoria, MN, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation during final approach, which led to a spiral dive that overstressed the airplane and resulted in an in-flight breakup. ## Other reports on N9156Z (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20140606008709I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140606008709I), Jun 6, 2014: Mooney M20M (N9156Z), Marshall, MN, Minor damage. Aircraft departed kmle at approximately 13:00 CDT with intended destination of kaxn. Aircraft was on a VFR flight. At an altitude of approximately 5500' MSL,… 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.