Mooney M20 N5512Q

Summary

On 22 November 2015 at about 18:30 local time, a Mooney M20 registered N5512Q was involved in an accident near Fort Meade, Maryland, 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

22 November 2015 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Meade, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Tipton (FME)

Coordinates

39.0853, -76.7594

Aircraft

Mooney M20

Registration

N5512Q

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

Fort Meade → Thomasville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA046

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, during the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane's climb rate seemed "lethargic." The pilot elected to remain in the airport traffic pattern, and after turning onto the downwind leg, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain adequate airspeed to reach the runway and landed adjacent to the runway. The right wing and engine firewall were damaged during the forced landing. A postaccident test run of the engine using the fuel onboard at the time of the accident did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the loss of power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.