- Date
- August 2, 2024, 13:04 local (19:04 UTC)
- Place
- Carrizozo, NM · About 2 miles s. of airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9954LMooney M20F
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Other weather encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20240802021269A
- Case key
- 194839
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The airplane’s encounter with a downdraft after takeoff, which resulted in a forced landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the airplane reported that, prior to takeoff, he observed adverse weather conditions that were approaching the airport from about 5 to 10 nautical miles away. During takeoff, when the airplane was about 50 feet above the ground, the airplane encountered a downdraft. The airplane’s left wing then dropped and the airplane entered a descent. The airplane impacted terrain and fences, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9954L
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 670487
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 5,062.2
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2024 · 20.5 hours before
- Departed
- F37 · Carrizozo, NM
- Destination
- KSAF · Santa Fe, NM
- Airport
- F37 · Carrizozo Muni, runway 24, 4,944 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown
- Last flight review
- June 21, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,636 total · 243 in this make and model · 1,317 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.50 inHg
- Observed at
- KSRR, 22 nm away
- METAR
- KSRR 021915Z AUTO 13015G20KT 10SM CLR 29/10 A3050 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 27, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.