MooneyM20J

At 1130 Pacific time, a Mooney M20J lost power on initial climb and crashed near Fullerton Municipal Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Inspection revealed about 30 ounces of water in the right fuel tank and water in the fuel distribution valve. The fuel selector was on the right tank….

At 16:00 CDT, a Mooney M20J made a forced landing and was damaged following a partial loss of engine power near Mount Pleasant. The two aboard were not injured. The pilot told investigators that he smelled a strong odor of fuel and the fuel pressure dropped to almost zero while he was cruising at 10,500 feet. The pilot diverted toward the Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport with the engine operating at idle. While on final approach to runway 7, he applied throttle to adjust the aircrafts rate of descent but it had no effect. He landed in an open field about -mile short of the runway and nosed over. The pilot said that after exiting the aircraft, he observed fuel leaking from the right fuel ta…

At 18:30 EDT, a Mooney M20J lost power and crashed near Gainesville. The pilot and two passengers were killed. The flight had departed Atlanta and witnesses said the airplane was in level flight approximately 2,000 feet above the ground when the engine lost power, regained it, and possibly lost power again. The pilot apparently tried to stretch the glide to a paved road in a newly developed subdivision but stalled the airplane and spiraled nose-down into the ground about 200 feet short of the road….

At 15:00 EST, a Mooney M20J was damaged during a forced landing near New Milford. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said the airplane had experienced a propeller strike in September, and the engine was sent to the manufacturer for a teardown inspection. On the day of the accident the pilot arrived at Danbury to see if the airplane was ready to be flown after having the original engine and a new three bladed propeller installed. The engine had been test run for 0.4 hours without producing any leaks or anomalies. The pilot completed extensive run-up checks and was cleared for departure. The takeoff was uneventful, and the pilot executed a closed traffic pattern to a touch-and-go. He depar…

At 19:20 EST, a Mooney M20J struck a pole and crashed while on final approach to runway 26 at Tampa Bay Executive Airport, killing the pilot. A CFI who was at the approach end of runway 26 preparing to take off with a student pilot said the Mooney attempted to contact Unicom. The CFI responded that Unicom was closed and advised that runway 26 was the active. The accident pilot said he wanted to use runway 35, which did not exist at the airport. The CFI saw the Mooney fly over the airport from the north and the pilot announced a left downwind. The CFI advised the pilot that runway 26 had right traffic, and the pilot asked several times where the airport was even as he was overflying it. The C…

At about 11:45 EDT, a Mooney M20J on an IFR flight plan struck terrain in Norton, killing the pilot and four passengers. The airplane was cruising at 9,000 feet when the pilot reported he was riding in the tops of the clouds and requested a climb to 11,000 feet. He was cleared to climb to 11,000 and given a frequency change. He reported in on the new frequency at 9,000 feet and was asked if he was going to climb to 11,000. He replied, Roger. No further communications were made and radar contact was lost four minutes later. Wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or fuel exhaustion….

At about 09:00 eastern time, a Mooney M20J was damaged upon landing in a field near Ellijay. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot was in the right seat and a student pilot was in the left seat. The student pilot was flying the aircraft and the pilot was following through on the controls. After takeoff from runway 3 at Gilmer County Airport, they remained in the traffic pattern. While on final approach to runway 3, the pilot told the student they would not attempt a landing. As they passed a third of the way down the runway, the pilot told the student pilot to perform a go-around. The student pilot applied full power suddenly and pulled back rapidly on the yoke. The pilot took…

At 11:38 eastern time, a Mooney M20J was damaged during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Danbury Municipal Airport. The pilot was seriously injured and the two passengers were not injured. The pilot told investigators that, at 600 to 700 feet, the engine began running rough, then quit. The pilot then landed the airplane in a swamp. The pilot also said the airplane had sat on the ramp for about 2 weeks, and that he did not check the fuel tanks for water prior to departure….

At about 17:35 eastern time, a Mooney M20J crashed in Monroe, killing the pilot and two passengers. The pilot had departed IFR from Charlotte about 15 minutes earlier. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the pilot told controllers he was having electrical problems and wanted to divert to the nearest airport. The controller offered the option of an airport two miles behind him or one six miles ahead that had more facilities. The pilot chose the farther airport, stating he did not yet have an emergency. The pilot reported the airport in sight and was cleared to descend and land at his discretion. He acknowledged the instruction but crashed short of the airport….

At 15:35 Pacific time, a Mooney M20J struck a pole while taxiing to parking at McCarran International Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot was behind a follow me golf cart en route to parking. As the truck passed through an opening between a parked airplane on the right and a metal pole on the left, the left wing of the accident airplane struck the metal pole. The opening was 78 feet wide and the airplanes wing span is 35 feet. The pilot said he became distracted while ground control was attempting to provide him with a telephone number to call after securing his airplane. The controllers wanted to discuss an air space violation that had occurred while the pilot was en route to M…