MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K near Elizabeth, LA — 2024-10-17

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 October 17, 2024, about 1430 central daylight time, a Mooney M20K airplane, N231MW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Elizabeth, Louisiana. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane engine lost partial power during a go-around after a bounced landing. Multiple witnesses reported that the engine sounded as if it was not producing full power. The airplane settled into a tree line at the end of the runway, impacted multiple trees, and came to rest inverted about four feet off the ground which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane was equipped with an Electronics International MVP-50P Digital Engine Monitor which was retained for data extraction. The airplane was also retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

• Loss of engine power (partial) · Landing-aborted after touchdown