WPR26FA198

On May 23, 2026, about 1034 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N4452H, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Woodlake, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 91 personal flight. According to an acquaintance of the pilot who met him at the airport, the pilot and a friend flew into the airport in a different airplane. The pilot was there to ferry the airplane to his home airport after it had undergone maintenance. After refueling his airplane, the pilot departed and immediately returned and landed. The pilot reported to his acquaintance and his friend that one of the cylinders was running hotter than the other three by about 100°F. He also remarked to both parties that he had leaned the fuel during the first flight and would try running the engine at full rich during his next flight. The pilot started the engine and departed a second time and the pilot’s friend subsequently departed the airport. While about 1,000 ft above ground level, the friend observed the Mooney at a very low altitude. He then witnessed the Mooney bank sharply to the right, which was followed by an abrupt left turn and sparks before the airplane impacted the ground. A witness, who was leaving a self-storage facility, observed the airplane travelling west towards the airport. The witness stated that the airplane was at a low altitude, similar to a crop duster, when it turned right, climbed and then flipped over and went straight down. The witness drove to the accident site and saw a postaccident fire. The airplane came to rest upright in a ditch that was between an asphalt street and an orchard. The airplane was on a heading of about 212° magnetic at an elevation of about 531 ft mean sea level (msl). The first point of probable impact (FPPI) was about 40 ft from the main wreckage, in the middle of the street where the propeller spinner was located and flattened. A debris path with shards of acrylic and small bits of sheet metal extended from the FPPI to the main wreckage. A postaccident fire destroyed most of the fuselage and wings. The empennage was also thermally damaged. The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examinations.