Mooney M20J N1079K

Summary

On 15 September 2013 at about 15:15 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N1079K, operated by Smith Plane LLC, was involved in an accident near Lund, Nevada, United States. 3 people were 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

15 September 2013 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Lund, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Ely Arpt /Yelland Fld/ (ELY)

Coordinates

38.7719, -115.0136

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N1079K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1990

Engines

1

Operator

Smith Plane LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ely → Las Vegas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA407

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to monitor the environment, which led to a collision with power lines during climbout. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power during low-altitude flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, which led to a forced landing that the pilot subsequently aborted when the engine regained full power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was maneuvering the airplane about 1,000 feet above ground level when the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a road; however, the engine regained power before the airplane landed. As the airplane began to climb out, it collided with power lines. The pilot chose to continue the flight and landed at an airport 150 miles south of the accident site where it was discovered that the airplane sustained substantial damage due to the power line strike. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The cause of the engine power loss could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.