# Incident 20240624008419I: Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, Troutdale, OR, June 24, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 24, 2024, 15:20 local time
- Place: Troutdale, OR
- Airport: Portland-Troutdale
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.5494° N, 122.4013° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PORTLAND-TROUTDALE (TTD), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.5494&lon=-122.4013&mi=10
- Aircraft: N231VM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N231VM-2024-11-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,800 total, 800 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240624008419I

## Narrative

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

DURING THE INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, HE STATED HE FLEW FROM TROUTDALE AIRPORT (KTTD) TO PEARSON FIELD (KUVO) AND BACK TO KTTD. DURING A NORMAL APPROACH BACK INTO KTTD THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT WHEN TURNING FROM BASE TO FINAL. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS UNREACHABLE AND DUE TO POWER LINES AND VEGETATION DECIDED TO LAND IN THE WATER NEAR THE BANK OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER. WHEN THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP, HE EXITED THE PLANE AND SWAM TO SHORE. THE PLANE SETTLED IN ABOUT 7 FEET OF WATER. THE NTSB IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THIS AS AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE FACT THE AIRPLANE IS SUBMERGED IN THE RIVER AND DURING REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RIVER IT WAS CUT INTO SMALLER PIECES. DURING THE PILOT INTERVIEW, HE STATED THAT HE REMOVED SEVERAL CUPS OF WATER FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK PRIOR TO DEPARTING KTTD AND THAT HE CONFIRMED THE QUANTITY OF FUEL BY LOOKING AT THE WING FUEL GAGES AND CALCULATIONS FROM THE FUEL TOTALIZER FROM THE PREVIOUS TRIP. HE NEVER ACCURATELY CONFIRMED THE TOTAL FUEL QUANTITY AND ESTIMATED 10 GALLONS PER FUEL TANK. THIS WOULD CONCLUDE EITHER FUEL CONTAMINATION OR FUEL DEPLETION SINCE HE FLEW BOTH LEGS ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. ANOTHER FACTOR IS THAT THERE IS AN EYEWITNESS THAT SAID HE MAY HAVE STRUCK A TREE TOP WITH HIS RIGHT WING DURING HIS APPROACH INTO KUVO AIRPORT. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF THIS EXCEPT A WITNESS REPORT FROM A PILOT WAITING TO DEPART AT KUVO AIRPORT. WAITING FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

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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