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20260424006149I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Mooney M20TN · Tappahannock, VA · April 24, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 24, 2026 · 13:40 local
Place
Tappahannock, VA
Airport
Tappahannock/Essex County Airp
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1129L
Reported as
Mooney M20TN
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-550-G
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
850 total224 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N1129LRegistered now · Mooney M20TNS/N 31-0078 · Built 2008Airframe modelMooney M20TNEngine modelContinental TSIO-550-GReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On April 24, 2026, at approximately 1100 aircraft M20P departed kfty on a IFR flight plan from kfty to kmjx. The aircraft climbed to 9000 feet shortly after take off and proceeded on route. The flight flew in and out of clouds most of the flight with minor turbulence. The pilot requested 11,000 then 13,000 to fly above the layer. At 13,000 feet on autopilot, the aircraft encountered light icing, while speaking to ATC to desend to avoid the icing, the aircraft hit severe turblence. The aircraft went into a dive to 7,000 feet, during that time the pilot stated he lost the autopilot, HSI, and the artificial horizon on the PFD. The standby unit showed the aircraft at 90 degrees and in a dive. After regaining control of the aircraft at around 5,000 feet, the aircraft suddenly gained altitude, he stablized the aircraft at 5,000 feet and ATC cleared him to stay at that altitude. The pilot diverted to kxsa for a straight in approch. He stated that he proceeded to put the landing gear down and the aircraft did not reduce speed. The pilot then extended the speed brakes and flaps to 10 degrees. The gear unsafe light was illuminated and the pilot started to perform the emergency landing gear extend. The aircraft landed with the landing gear in the up position on runway 10.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 24, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 AIRCRAFT M20P DEPARTED KFTY ON A IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM KFTY TO KMJX. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 9000 FEET SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF AND PROCEEDED ON ROUTE. THE FLIGHT FLEW IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS MOST OF THE FLIGHT WITH MINOR TURBULENCE. THE PILOT REQUESTED 11,000 THEN 13,000 TO FLY ABOVE THE LAYER. AT 13,000 FEET ON AUTOPILOT, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED LIGHT ICING, WHILE SPEAKING TO ATC TO DESEND TO AVOID THE ICING, THE AIRCRAFT HIT SEVERE TURBLENCE. THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A DIVE TO 7,000 FEET, DURING THAT TIME THE PILOT STATED HE LOST THE AUTOPILOT, HSI, AND THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON ON THE PFD. THE STANDBY UNIT SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT AT 90 DEGREES AND IN A DIVE. AFTER REGAINING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AT AROUND 5,000 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY GAINED ALTITUDE, HE STABLIZED THE AIRCRAFT AT 5,000 FEET AND ATC CLEARED HIM TO STAY AT THAT ALTITUDE. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO KXSA FOR A STRAIGHT IN APPROCH. HE STATED THAT HE PROCEEDED TO PUT THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT REDUCE SPEED. THE PILOT THEN EXTENDED THE SPEED BRAKES AND FLAPS TO 10 DEGREES. THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE PILOT STARTED TO PERFORM THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTEND. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE UP POSITION ON RUNWAY 10.