Mooney M20E N201EZ

Summary

On 29 April 2003 at about 23:04 local time, a Mooney M20E registered N201EZ was involved in an accident near Milledgeville, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 April 2003 at 23:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Milledgeville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Baldwin County (MLJ)

Coordinates

33.1569, -83.2456

Aircraft

Mooney M20E

Registration

N201EZ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Millageville → Camilla

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL03LA088

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during climbout which resulted in a low altitude stall and subsequent in-flight collision with the terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to return the airplane to the repair station where he had previously gotten an annual inspection completed. The pilot had complained about a landing gear and strut problem during landing and takeoff. Due to the gear and strut problem, the pilot elected to perform a soft field takeoff from runway 10. According to a witness at the airport, the airplane was first heard in the runup area, and next seen climbing out from the runway. The airplane was then seen about 50 feet above the ground, in a nose high attitude, and in a 60-degree left bank. The airplane continued to bank until the left wingtip was in a 90 degree left bank and then it collided with the ground. The aircraft spun across the ground and came to rest in a tree line left of runway 10 at Baldwin County Airport. Examination of the aircraft the after accident revealed that both wings were bent at the spars, and the nose section forward of the fire wall was displaced to the left. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane during the takeoff and initial climb.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.