What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 25, 2024, approximately 1154 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20K, privacy data omitted, was substantially damaged when the commercially rated pilot and passenger operating under part 91 were involved in an accident near the St. Augustine airport in St. Augustine, Florida. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured.
The flight departed northeast Florida regional airport (sgj), St. Augustine, Florida, air traffic control audio communications prior to the accident the pilot was in contact with an air traffic controller at sgj and had been cleared for takeoff on runway 13. Shortly after becoming airborne, the pilot reported that a door had come open. The air traffic controller asked if he was declaring an emergency and the pilot responded no, and that he just wanted to land and close the door.
Air traffic controller (ATC)lost communications with the pilot, ATC stopped all departures and asked for aircraft in the vicinity to search for privacy data omitted. The wreckage was identified on the approach path to runway 13.
Review of the ADS-B data and video images of the airplane captured by a security camera around the time of the last ADS-B return indicated that the airplane pitched nose down and entered a descending, left roll prior to impact. The airplane impacted in a wooded area about 1.24 nautical miles northwest of the approach end of runway 13. The airplane first impacted a tree and then terrain in a steep, nose down attitude. There was no indication of a fire.
Flight control continuity was established between the rudder, elevator, and both ailerons from their respective flight controls to the cockpit.
The engine remained partially attached to the airframe through one engine mount, cables, wires, and hoses. The engine and all the engine components displayed impact damage.
The three blade, constant-speed propeller remained attached to the crankshaft propeller flange; however, the propeller flange had separated from the rest of the crankshaft. All three of the propeller blades remained secured in the hub and the blades displayed bending and impact damage.
The main cabin and baggage doors were found in the open position and remained attached to the fuselage.
Aircraft maintenance records indicated the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on September 8, 2023. Where the airplane had accrued approximately 3,782 total hours of operation, and the engine had accrued approximately 1,637 hours of operation since major overhaul.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 25, 2024, APPROXIMATELY 1154 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M20K, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT AND PASSENGER OPERATING UNDER PART 91 WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR THE ST. AUGUSTINE AIRPORT IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED.
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NORTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL AIRPORT (SGJ), ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO COMMUNICATIONS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT WAS IN CONTACT WITH AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER AT SGJ AND HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 13. SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A DOOR HAD COME OPEN. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ASKED IF HE WAS DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND THE PILOT RESPONDED NO, AND THAT HE JUST WANTED TO LAND AND CLOSE THE DOOR.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER (ATC)LOST COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PILOT, ATC STOPPED ALL DEPARTURES AND ASKED FOR AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY TO SEARCH FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE WRECKAGE WAS IDENTIFIED ON THE APPROACH PATH TO RUNWAY 13.
REVIEW OF THE ADS-B DATA AND VIDEO IMAGES OF THE AIRPLANE CAPTURED BY A SECURITY CAMERA AROUND THE TIME OF THE LAST ADS-B RETURN INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND ENTERED A DESCENDING, LEFT ROLL PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A WOODED AREA ABOUT 1.24 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 13. THE AIRPLANE FIRST IMPACTED A TREE AND THEN TERRAIN IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A FIRE.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE RUDDER, ELEVATOR, AND BOTH AILERONS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO THE COCKPIT.
THE ENGINE REMAINED PARTIALLY ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME THROUGH ONE ENGINE MOUNT, CABLES, WIRES, AND HOSES. THE ENGINE AND ALL THE ENGINE COMPONENTS DISPLAYED IMPACT DAMAGE.
THE THREE BLADE, CONSTANT-SPEED PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE CRANKSHAFT PROPELLER FLANGE; HOWEVER, THE PROPELLER FLANGE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE CRANKSHAFT. ALL THREE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES REMAINED SECURED IN THE HUB AND THE BLADES DISPLAYED BENDING AND IMPACT DAMAGE.
THE MAIN CABIN AND BAGGAGE DOORS WERE FOUND IN THE OPEN POSITION AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE.
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THE AIRPLANE'S MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2023. WHERE THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCRUED APPROXIMATELY 3,782 TOTAL HOURS OF OPERATION, AND THE ENGINE HAD ACCRUED APPROXIMATELY 1,637 HOURS OF OPERATION SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.