WPR26LA214

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20J · Albuquerque, NM · May 31, 2026

Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary report
Date
May 31, 2026, 15:15 local (21:15 UTC)
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N555EDMooney M20J
Defining event
Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20260531010139A
Case key
203158

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On May 31, 2026, at 1515 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N555ED, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the flight was a post-maintenance test flight conducted at Double Eagle II Airport (AEG), Albuquerque, New Mexico, following completion of the airplane's annual inspection. Following a preflight inspection, the pilot departed with the intention of performing three stop-and-go landings. The first two landings on runway 22 were uneventful. The pilot reported that engine indications remained normal throughout the flight and that all flight controls operated as expected. During the third landing, while on short final approach, the pilot stated that all parameters appeared normal; however, the airplane unexpectedly impacted the runway. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway onto the adjacent grass surface and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The airplane was retained for further examination.

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.

Aircraft

Registration
N555ED
Reported as
Mooney M20J
Category
Airplane
Serial number
24-0684
Built
1978
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Flight test · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · May 16, 2026 · 115.7 hours before
Airport
AEG · Double Eagle II Airport, runway 22, 7,398 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B

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.

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
200° at 6 knots, gusting 15
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
82 °F, dew point 16 °F
Altimeter
30.09 inHg
Observed at
KAEG
METAR
METAR KAEG 312050Z 20006G15KT 10SM CLR 28/M09 A3009

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N555ED · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.