# Accident 20221202018229A: Mooney M20J, Falmouth, MA, December 2, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 2, 2022, 15:00 local time
- Place: Falmouth, MA
- Airport: Falmouth Airpark
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.5879° N, 70.5365° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5879&lon=-70.5365&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3515H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3515H-2023-10-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-550 series (registry code 17042, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,768 total, 2,745 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA077) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221202018229A

## Narrative

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

ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2022, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A MOONEY M20J, WAS ON A FLIGHT FROM WESTFIELD-BARNES REGIONAL AIRPORT (KBAF) TO FALMOUTH AIRPARK (5B6). AT APPROXIMATELY 2000Z, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SET-UP FOR A LANDING TO RUNWAY 25. ON THE FINAL APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AN OAK TREE AND STRUCK THE GROUND TWO TIMES BEFORE COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THE FEMALE OCCUPANT WAS AIRLIFTED TO A HOSPITAL IN RHODE ISLAND. THE MALE OCCUPANT WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD ON THE SCENE.

ON THE GROUND, THERE WAS A SMALLER SCAR MARK WITH GREEN AND CLEAR PLEXIGLASS PIECES CONSISTENT WITH THE LIGHTS FROM THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS A SECOND SCAR IN THE GROUND THAT WAS LARGER AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET WIDE. FROM THE SECOND MARK, THERE ARE MARKS IN THE GROUND THAT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THE AIRCRAFT SLIDING INTO THE AREA WHERE IT CAME TO A STOP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES OFF OF THE APPROACH PATH IT WAS LIKELY FLYING TO THE RUNWAY.

FOR AIRCRAFT DAMAGE, THE FOLLOWING WAS OBSERVED:

•	THE PROPELLER NOSE CONE WAS DAMAGED ON ONE SIDE. IT WAS CRUMPLED CONSISTENT WITH A GROUND STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT HAS A THREE-BLADED PROPELLER. OF THE THREE BLADES, THE PROPELLER BLADE ADJACENT TO THE CRUMPLED SECTION OF THE NOSE CONE WAS BENT AFT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES TOWARDS THE AIRCRAFT CABIN. THE OTHER PROPELLER BLADES SUSTAINED LITTLE TO NO OBSERVABLE DAMAGE.

•	THE ENGINE WAS INTACT BUT WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL. THERE WERE LARGE CLUMPS OF DIRT FOUND IN THE ENGINE AIR INTAKES CONSISTENT WITH A GROUND STRIKE. THE SPARK PLUGS, FUEL DISTRIBUTOR CAP, FUEL LINES AND MAGNETOS REMAINED CONNECTED WITH NO OBSERVABLE DAMAGE. DURING EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE, THE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR CAP WAS FOUND TO BE DRY. THE FUEL LINES FROM THE BOOST PUMP TO THE MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP AND THE FUEL LINE FROM THE MECHANICAL PUMP TO THE FUEL DIVIDER WERE EXAMINED AND FOUND TO HAVE NO FUEL. THE TOP AND BOTTOM COWLING WERE LOCATED NEAR THE AIRCRAFT BUT NOT ATTACHED.  THE NOSE GEAR WAS COLLAPSED UNDERNEATH THE AIRCRAFT WITH GRASS AND DIRT ATTACHED.

•	THE LEFT WING HAD DENTS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE WITH GREEN-TINTED MARKS. THE WING ROOT EXHIBITED LITTLE TO NO DAMAGE AND WAS ATTACHED TO THE EMPENNAGE. IN THE LAST THIRD OF THE WING, THE DAMAGE WAS MORE EXTENSIVE. THE LAST THIRD OF THE WING WAS TWISTED UP AND BACKWARDS AND THE PLASTIC GUARD OVER THE RED NAVIGATION LIGHT WAS BROKEN OFF. THE AILERON WAS IMMOVABLE. THE FLAPS WERE DEFLECTED DOWN CONSISTENT WITH BEING UTILIZED ON AN APPROACH TO LANDING. THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND WITH 28 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE INBOARD TANK. THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND LOCKED.

•	THE FUSELAGE HAD CLEAN CUT MARKS OVER THE SECTION WHERE THE OCCUPANTS WERE LOCATED. THE SECTION AROUND THE BACKSEAT PASSENGER AREA WAS INTACT. IN THE AREA FORWARD OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, THERE WAS CRUMPLING AND TEARS IN THE SKIN, BOTH SIDES, CONSISTENT WITH A TWISTING MOTION.

•	THE TAIL SECTION, CONSISTING OF THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, WAS UNDAMAGED AND INTACT. A FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK WAS CONDUCTED AND THE ELEVATOR AND RUDDER WERE FOUND TO BE OPERATIONAL.

•	THE RIGHT WING WAS FULLY DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE. AT THE WING ROOT AS WELL AS THE ATTACHMENT POINT ON THE FUSELAGE, THE METAL WAS BENT BACKWARDS AND JAGGED CONSISTENT WITH IT BEING TORN FROM IMPACT. THE TOP OF THE WING, AT THE WING ROOT NEAR THE TRAILING EDGE, WAS TORN UPWARD TOWARD THE WING TIP. THE WING TIP TO THE INBOARD END OF THE AILERON WAS CRUMPLED AND HAS LARGE TEARS IN THE SKIN. THE FUEL TANKS IN THE RIGHT WING, BOTH INBOARD AND OUTBOARD TANKS, WERE FOUND TO BE DEVOID OF FUEL. THE AREA AROUND THE WING DID NOT EXHIBIT SIGNS OF A FUEL LEAK. THE LANDING GEAR WAS COLLAPSED UNDER THE WING.

•	AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DONE AND THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CHECKED IN ITS ENTIRETY. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL FLOW PREVENTION.

## 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 ERA23FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA077), Dec 2, 2022: Mooney M20J (N3515H), Falmouth, MA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during the landing approach. Contributing to the accident was the sun glare, which impaired the pilot's visibility and situational awareness.

## Other reports on N3515H (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19841110070379A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19841110070379A), Nov 10, 1984: Mooney M20J (N3515H), Marlboro, NJ, Substantial damage. Hit the upslope short of the runway threshold because of a downdraft, then rolled onto the runway.

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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