# Accident 20220211006499A: Mooney M20J, Houston, TX, February 11, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 11, 2022, 19:25 local time
- Place: Houston, TX
- Airport: West Houston
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.8242° N, 95.6758° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8242&lon=-95.6758&mi=10
- Aircraft: N201VZ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N201VZ-2022-07-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6 (registry code 41827, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-a3b6) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-A3B6
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 387 total, 229 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN22LA118](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA118) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220211006499A

## Narrative

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

ON 02/11/2022, PILOT DEPARTED FROM CASTROVILLE, (CVB), TX FOR DESTINATION TO WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT (IWS), TEXAS.  WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AIRPLANE WAS LINED UP WITH RWY 15 AT IWS, THE AIRPLANE HIT THE TOP OF A TREE (APPROXIMATELY 45-55 FT TALL). THE TREE WAS APPROXIMATELY 612 FT FROM RUNWAY 15 THRESHOLD.  IAW FLIGHTAWARE ADS-B INFORMATION THE AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 54-59 KTS. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE STRIKE. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE GOING SLOW AND LOW AND TIPPED THE WINGS LEFT AND RIGHT AS IF THE PILOT SAW THE TREE AT THE LAST SECOND. IT LOOKS LIKE MOST LIKELY THE PILOT PULLED UP CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO STALL DUE TO THE LOW SPEED AND TREE BRANCHES SLOWING DOWN AIRPLANE. THE LEFT WING WENT UP OVER AND THE RIGHT WING DIPPED DOWN TO AN INVERTED POSITION AND CRASHED AT HOLE 8 OF THE GOLF COURSE, APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 75 YARDS FROM IMPACTED TREE. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE HAD DAMAGE MARKS FROM THE TREE BRANCHES. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE LEFT WING OUTER 1/3 OF THE WING WERE CRUSHED FROM INITIAL IMPACT. FLAPS WERE SET TO 15 DEGREES. THE EMPENNAGE SETTLED DOWN AFTER INITIAL IMPACT. THERE WERE SIGNS OF FUEL DRIPPING FROM BOTH TANKS AS IT WAS VENTING OUT. FUEL PORT COVERS WERE NOT OPENED DUE TO AIRPLANE BEING UP SIDE DOWN. FUEL SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AFTER AIRPLANE WAS FLIPPED UPRIGHT. FUEL WAS NOT CONTAMINATED AND BOTH TANKS HAD PLENTY OF FUEL. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE PASSENGER HAD SEVERAL FRACTURES IN HER LEGS AND PELVIS, SHE RECEIVED TWO PINTS OF BLOOD BEFORE SHE WAS AIR LIFTED. PILOT HAD FRACTURES IN HIS LOWER EXTREMITIES ONE WAS HIS FEMUR, HE RECEIVED ONE PINT OF BLOOD BEFORE BEING AIRLIFTED. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE AIRLIFTED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. CHECKED STATUS ON 2/14/2022, THEY WERE BOTH IN ICU AND INTUBATED. UPDATE OF PILOT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ON 5/18/2022-PILOT IS STARTING TO STAND AND WORK ON HIS LEGS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^-IS ONLY FEELING HER SHOULDERS AND HEAD, SHE IS FEELING HER ELBOW ON THE RIGHT ARM. EXAMINATION OF N201VZ WAS CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB ON MAY 4, 2022, AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF DALLAS, TEXAS. NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED DURING THE EXAMINATION OF RECOVERED AIRFRAME AND ENGINE. STATUS UPDATE 7/26/2022, PILOT IS ABLE TO WALK WITH CANE AND STILL ATTENDING PHYSICAL THERAPY, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS ABLE TO FEEL DOWN TO HER FINGERS BUT HAS NO FEELING FROM WAIST DOWN.

## 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 CEN22LA118](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA118), Feb 12, 2022: Mooney M20J (N201VZ), Katy, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper glidepath while on the final approach segment of the traffic pattern in dark night conditions.

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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