Pilot Debrief

MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K near Pearland, TX — 2025-09-16

Investigation ongoingCEN25LA386
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Date
2025-09-16
Location
Pearland, TX, USA
Airport
LVJ
Aircraft
MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K
Registration
N305EP
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On September 16, 2025, about 1040 central daylight time, a Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, N305EP was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Pearland Regional Airport, Pearland, Texas. The pilot and certificated flight instructor were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to perform an engine break-in after an engine replacement, and to perform a flight review as required by 14 CFR 61.56. He stated that the initial takeoff roll was consistent with expectations and rotation was achieved normally at he expected time and distance. After takeoff when the airplane was about 10-15 ft above ground level, the pilot noticed a reduction in engine power and airplane performance. He checked throttle, propeller, and mixture settings, and then he retarded and re-advanced the throttle with no change in engine performance. The airplane continued to lose airspeed; the pilot recognized that the airplane was going to impact the runway and he retarded the mixture to shut the engine off. He stated that during the takeoff attempt he did not notice any misfire or unusual shaking. He did not believe that the engine lost all power and continued to operate at reduced power until he retarded the mixture control. The airplane landed hard on the runway, the left main landing gear separated, and airplane slid off the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The airplane was retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (partial) · Takeoff
  • Loss of Thrust on Takeoff
View NTSB preliminary report

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