Mooney M20E N5863Q

Summary

On 14 December 2015 at about 21:41 local time, a Mooney M20E registered N5863Q was involved in an accident near Corona, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 December 2015 at 21:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Corona, California, United States

Nearest airport

Corona Municipal Airport (AJO)

Coordinates

33.8919, -117.6014

Aircraft

Mooney M20E

Registration

N5863Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Corona → Chino Airport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR16LA039

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined based on available information. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to conduct the takeoff with observed engine deficiencies.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that the accident flight was the airplane's first flight after being painted. After completing a preflight inspection, the pilot started the engine and observed a decrease in power. He leaned the mixture slightly, and the engine rpm returned to normal idle speed. The pilot reported that during the engine run-up, he noticed that the engine had a delayed response when he increased the throttle, but that the run-up otherwise revealed no anomalies. The pilot stated that the takeoff roll took longer than expected, and after lifting off near the end of the runway, the airplane climbed more slowly than normal. The pilot stated that during the initial climb, engine power had decreased to 2,000 rpm. As the airplane reached about 100 ft above ground level, the engine was producing about 1,800 rpm and could not maintain a climb. The pilot elected to continue straight ahead rather than return to the runway, and the airplane subsequently descended into trees. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the partial loss of engine power was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.