Mooney M20E N9081V

Summary

On 16 December 2025 at about 15:40 local time, a Mooney M20E registered N9081V was involved in an accident near Gonzales, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

16 December 2025 at 15:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Gonzales, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Louisiana Regional (REG)

Coordinates

30.1731, -90.9415

Aircraft

Mooney M20E

Registration

N9081V

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baton Rouge → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA063

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper pitch control that resulted in a hard landing, and his improper recovery from multiple bounced landings. Contributing to the accident was the safety pilot’s delayed response to the initial bounced landing which led to the runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and his safety pilot were conducting a proficiency flight for insurance purposes. According to the pilot, he began the landing flare too high and the airplane bounced when the main wheels touched down. The safety pilot reported that he monitored the pilot’s remedial action to the bounced landing. According to the safety pilot, the pilot increased airplane pitch but did not increase engine power which resulted in a second bounced landing. The safety pilot then took over the flight controls and advanced the throttle to maximum rpm. The safety pilot stated that he was unable to regain directional control and the airplane touched down a third time, veered left, passed through a fence, and impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the horizontal stabilizer. Both pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the safety pilot stated that the accident might have been prevented had he taken over controls and/or called for an aborted landing sooner.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.