Mooney M20J N3515H
2 December 2022 · Falmouth, Massachusetts, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 2 December 2022 at about 20:04 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N3515H was involved in an accident near Falmouth, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:04
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Falmouth, Massachusetts, United States
- Nearest airport
- Falmouth Airpark (5B6)
- Coordinates
- 41.5879, -70.5365
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J
- Registration
- N3515H
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1980
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Westfield/Springfield → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA23FA077
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during the landing approach. Contributing to the accident was the sun glare, which impaired the pilot's visibility and situational awareness.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot-rated passenger described the sun as “blinding” during the landing approach, but stated that she and the pilot were uncomfortable landing on the other runway due to the wind conditions. While on final approach, the passenger adjusted the pilot’s sun visor, then looked down to confirm that the airplane was properly configured for landing. When she looked up, she knew that the airplane was going to impact trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted 75-ft-tall trees about 300 ft from the end of the runway, then subsequently impacted terrain. The passenger reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Review of published airport information revealed that trees were listed as an obstruction for both runways.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20J accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb 2022 | Mooney M20J | Paradise, California, United States | Alfred W. Brown | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 2022 | Mooney M20J | Kerrville, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Nov 2022 | Mooney M20J | Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2022 | Mooney M20J | Charleston, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 2022 | Mooney M20J | Luskintyre, Australia | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Feb 2022 | Mooney M20J | Katy, Texas, United States | Aviation Partners SA LLC | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 2022 | Cessna 402 | Mashpee, Massachusetts, United States | Hyannis Air Service Inc | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 2022 | Burrill Steven E A PLANE | Middleboro, Massachusetts, United States | Burrill Steven E | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 2022 | Piper PA-22-150 | Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2022 | Piper PA-22-150 | Fitchburg, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2022 | Cessna 172K | Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 2022 | Van's RV-12 | Westfield, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |