# NTSB CEN20WA054: Mooney M20, Lifou Wanaham, New Caledonia, January 3, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Foreign investigation
- Date: January 3, 2020, 14:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place: Lifou Wanaham, New Caledonia
- Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 4 fatal
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Lead agency: Other
- NTSB case key (mKey): 100760
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20WA054
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100760/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20WA054

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Unknown: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md)

## Factual narrative

On January 3, 2020, about 1430 universal coordinated time, a Mooney M20J, French registration F-OIAT, impacted terrain shortly after departing the Lifou Wanaham Airport (New Caledonia). The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA) of the government of France is investigating the accident. As the state of manufacture of the airplane and engine, the NTSB has designated a US accredited representative to assist the BEA in its investigation. All inquiries concerning this accident should be directed to the BEA: Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile 10 rue de Paris Aéroport du Bourget 93352 Le Bourget Cedex France Website: http://www.bea.aero

## Aircraft

- Registration: F-OIAT (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Mooney M20 (J)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24-3370
- Engines: Lycoming IO-360 200 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Non-U.S., non-commercial
- Operator: Aero Club Caledonien Henri Martinet
- Registered owner: Aero Club Caledonien Henri Martinet
- Airport: NWWL, Ouanaham Airport

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot

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.

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