# Incident 20250226001369I: Mooney M20J, Punta Gorda, FL, February 26, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 26, 2025, 11:29 local time
- Place: Punta Gorda, FL
- Airport: Punta Gorda
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.9186° N, 81.9909° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PUNTA GORDA (PGD), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.9186&lon=-81.9909&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40MJ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N40MJ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER A&C
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,208 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250226001369I

## Narrative

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

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PIC AND HAD TWO FRIENDS ALONG FOR THE FLIGHT.  DEPARTED SRQ AND HEADED DOWN THE COAST TO PGD. THE TAKEOFF, CLIMB OUT AND CRUISE DOWN TO PGD WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL. PIC FLEW A PRACTICE GPS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 04 WITH A LOW APPROACH ONLY AND THEN BEGAN TO CLIMB OUT FOR A RETURN TO SRQ. THE CLIMB OUT WAS NORMAL UNTIL  ABOUT 800 FT. WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ENGINE STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. IT WAS STILL RUNNING AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE FLIGHT IDLE, BUT WAS PRODUCING NO THRUST. PIC IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE TOWER THAT THEY NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD BECAUSE OF ENGINE TROUBLE. PILOT SWITCHED TANKS AND TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP - TO NO AVAIL. MANIPULATION OF THE THROTTLE AND THE MIX HAD NO EFFECT. IT QUICKLY BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY, SO PIC AIMED FOR A GRASSY AREA SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. PIC WAITED TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN.  AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD IN THE GRASS ABOUT 200 FT. SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE PLANE WAS: THE GEAR DOORS ON BOTH MAIN GEAR WERE BENT; THE POSITION LIGHT ON THE LEFT WING WAS BROKEN AND THERE WAS A PROP STRIKE IN THE GRASS.

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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