NTSB Identification: ERA11FA406
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, July 18, 2011 in Augusta, GA
Aircraft: MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K, registration: N777CV
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 18, 2011, about 1225 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20K, N777CV, collided with the ground shortly after takeoff from Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), Augusta, Georgia. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane came to rest on the airport's property and was substantially damaged when it impacted the terrain. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

A mechanic stated that the pilot asked him to bleed the brakes on his airplane prior to departure. After the mechanic serviced the brakes, the pilot said that the brakes were working satisfactorily on both sides and he taxied to the runway for takeoff. The mechanic watched as the airplane climbed out, and shortly thereafter, he heard someone yell that an airplane crashed. When he looked across the runway, he saw fire and black smoke, and realized that it was the pilot who had just departed.

According to preliminary information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was involved in a previous gear-up landing accident with the same airplane at AGS on April 11, 2011. During that accident, the airplane sustained substantial damaged to the propeller and the fuselage. In an interview with maintenance personnel who worked on the airplane, they stated that two days prior to the current accident, they prepped the airplane for a ferry flight back to Lake Norman Airpark (14A), Mooresville, North Carolina. They removed the damaged three blade propeller and replaced it with a two blade propeller. The main landing gear was also secured in the extended position due to the previous accident. The purpose of the current accident flight was to take the airplane up to approximately 8,000 feet to see if everything operated correctly before departing to 14A.

According to witnesses, they watched the airplane during the initial climb and the engine sounded extremely loud. As they continued to watch, the airplane climbed slowly before making a sharp left turn. The sound of the engine increased followed by a loud "bang". One witness observed the propeller separate from the airplane and fall to the ground, followed by the airplane in a nose down spiral. The airplane impacted the ground and a post crash fire ensued.

Index for Jul2011 | Index of months