# NTSB ERA19FA184: Mooney M20J, N201DG, Cape May, NJ, May 29, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report - Date: May 29, 2019, 11:15 local (15:15 UTC) - Place: Cape May, NJ - Coordinates: 38.925556, -74.943054 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9256&lon=-74.9431&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 2 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 99504 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA19FA184 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99504/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99504 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19FA184 ## Probable cause The pilot's intentional flight into water as an act of suicide. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Intentional act: suicide](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051015): Personnel issues › Miscellaneous · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051015/cases.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900) (defining event); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was seen by multiple witnesses flying low just above the ocean surface near the shoreline. One witness stated that he saw the airplane flying about 10 ft above the ocean when it contacted the water, climbed about 100 to 200 ft, then entered a steep dive and impacted the water in a near-vertical attitude. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Following a death investigation, the state medical examiner classified the manner of death as suicide. ## Factual narrative On May 29, 2019, at 1115 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N201DG, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Cape May, New Jersey. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. In a written statement, a witness described seeing the airplane flying parallel to the beach about 10 ft above the water. He stated that it appeared "stable and in control but then dipped, hit the water, and skipped up out of control." The airplane entered a steep climb to around 100 to 200 ft above the water, “stalled, turned downward, and plunged almost straight into the water." The witness estimated the pitch-up attitude of the airplane after it contacted the water at 65° to 70° and its nose-down attitude at 75° to 80° during the descent. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector stated that reports of a low-flying airplane travelling along the beach from north to south were received from several towns north of Cape May. Witnesses reported that the airplane would dive to the surface, fly low along the beach, and climb again. One witness forwarded a video of the airplane as it passed her position on Diamond Beach, about 5 miles, or about 2.5 minutes, north of the accident site. The airplane was near the shoreline, about 10 ft above the wave break, and the sound of the engine was smooth and continuous throughout. At one point, the airplane descended below the horizon line. About 20 seconds into the 30-second video, the airplane began a steep climb. The airplane was about 200 ft above the surface when the video ended. State and local law enforcement attempted recovery of the pilot in the days following the accident but were hampered by the strong current, low visibility, and storms. On June 1, 2019, a commercial underwater salvage operator recovered the pilot along with the wreckage. The Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner, Woodbine, New Jersey, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was listed as "blunt trauma of head, neck, trunk, and extremities," and the manner of death as "suicide." The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing on the pilot. Ethanol was detected in concentrations and distribution consistent with postmortem production. No tested-for drugs were identified. The owner/operator of the airplane stated that the pilot had "returned" to flying in October 2018. Training and rental records revealed that, since that time, the pilot had completed online FAA flight review training, received 17 hours of dual instruction, and had accrued 44.1 total hours of flight experience. All major components of the airplane were recovered except for the left wing. The roof, left wing, and empennage were separated from the fuselage. The fracture surfaces displayed features consistent with overload failure. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit area, through several breaks, to allavailable flight control surfaces. The fracture surfaces at the breaks displayed features consistent with overstress. The leading edge of the right wing was uniformly crushed aft along its entire span. The engine was rotated by hand at the propeller and powertrain continuity was confirmed to the accessory section. Thumb compression was confirmed on all cylinders. Examination of the top spark plugs from each of the 4 cylinders revealed signatures consistent with normal wear and saltwater immersion. The single-drive dual magneto was destroyed by impact and saltwater immersion. The engine-driven fuel pump was removed, and when actuated by hand, pumped fluid from the output port. The fuel supply line was removed at the inlet port to the fuel manifold, where trace amounts of fuel were detected. The propeller was attached at the hub, and all 3 blades displayed similar aft bending. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N201DG](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N201DG-2020-08-02), registration cancelled 2020-08-02, S/N 24-0110 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Mooney M20J (No Series) - Registry model: [Mooney M20J](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (registry code 5870219) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-0110 - Year built: 1977 - Airframe hours: 5233.2 - Engines: Lycoming IO360-A3B6D 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 13, 2019 - Departed: N87, Robbinsville, NJ - Destination: N87, Robbinsville, NJ - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: fatal; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: basicmed, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 333 total, 17 in this make and model, 6 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 29.75 inHg - Observed at: KWWD, 5 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190529005379A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190529005379A), May 29, 2019: Mooney M20J, Cape May, NJ, Destroyed, 1 fatal. The pilot flew extremely low and fast over the water, shoreline, boats and people for approximately 20 minutes before impacting the water and sinking. ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 3, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99504. 10.8 MB in all. - Witness memorandum for record (item 1, PDF, 2 pages, 75 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9670824&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20David%20Ferguson-Rel.pdf - Witness statements (item 2, PDF, 9 pages, 153 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9669154&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Accounts%20forwarded%20to%20Operator%20docket_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Witness video (item 3, MOV, 3.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9670635&FileExtension=mov&FileName=IMG-0020-Rel.mov - Maintenance records annual inspection (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9670931&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Annual%20Inspection_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 115 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9670940&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Toxicology_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Chronology of wreckage recovery with photos (sea tow) (item 6, PDF, 10 pages, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9670644&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Wreckage%20Recovery%20Chronology%20and%20Photos%20(Sea%20Tow)-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage, NTSB form 6120.15 (item 7, PDF, 1 page, 660 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9675489&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage_Redacted-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.