N231EC

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 11, 2018, at 1017 Pacific daylight time a Mooney M20K, N231EC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Baker, Oregon. The private pilot and student pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

About 1015, a pilot who was in his hangar about 1,300 ft southwest of the runway 31 midfield at Baker City Municipal Airport (BKE), observed a low-wing airplane flying directly overhead toward the south. It caught his attention because it was inside the normal left downwind traffic pattern but was flying lower than appropriate, between 600 and 700 ft above ground level (agl). He then heard the airplane reduce engine power to a setting that seemed appropriate for an airplane descending to land. He did not see the airplane emitting any smoke or vapors. He anticipated watching the airplane land, but did not see it.

About the same time, the owner of a local fixed base operator located on the airfield heard the pilot of the accident airplane report that he was on final for runway 31. She did not hear the pilot make any additional calls, and did not hear the airplane land.

Multiple witnesses located south of the airport recounted seeing a low-wing airplane flying south-southeast in a direction typically followed by airplanes making a landing similar to the approach for runway 31. Two witnesses saw the airplane begin a left turn out of view beyond trees, followed by the sound of an impact. One witness saw the airplane turn, then immediately transition to a rapid, nose-down descent. Another witness located under the approach path for runway 31 saw the airplane fly overhead to the south and then off into the distance. Based on its location, he assumed it had just taken off, and a short time later, he looked back and could no longer hear the airplane, but saw that it was in a nose-dive. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONPilot

The pilot held a private pilot license certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land, issued on December 7, 2016. The pilot's most recent flight instructor stated that he was initially approached by the pilot after another instructor had provided initial flight training. After his initial assessment, the instructor was concerned that the training would take a long time to complete, and after about 70 hours of instruction, the pilot was ready to solo. As the training progressed, the instructor was still concerned that the pilot was not learning and developing quickly enough and often flew "behind the power curve," allowing the airplane to "get ahead of him."

The pilot initially failed the practical test for his private pilot certificate on November 28, 2016. His disapproval notice stated, "Demonstrated poor situational awareness and single pilot resource management during cross country execution. Power on stall with turn was unsat[isfactory] as well." He was reexamined, and passed the practical exam on his second attempt.

The pilot had 101 hours of flight experience (69.5 hours dual) by the time he was issued his private pilot license, the majority of which was in a Cessna 152. After receiving his pilot's license, the pilot told the instructor that he was looking for a faster airplane to commute in and was interested in a Mooney. The instructor expressed concern that the Mooney was too fast and complex for the pilot's level of experience.

The pilot transitioned to a Piper PA-28-180 and continued to receive flight instruction. He received his high-performance/complex airplane endorsement on January 5, 2018, after 7.5 hours of instruction in a Cessna 210.

The instructor stated that, after the first 5 flight lessons while training for his high-performance/complex airplane endorsement, the pilot was insistent that he was ready to fly solo, but the instructor disagreed, and as a test, they performed a short cross-country flight with the instructor observing. The instructor reported that the flight did not go well and that as they approached an airport for landing, the pilot selected the wrong advisory frequency, flew the downwind approach well above traffic pattern altitude (2,000 ft agl), and did not see another airplane that was on the runway. The instructor interjected, and the pilot continued to fly the airplane at high speed, past the airport, while trying to establish a stabilized approach. Eventually, the instructor asked him to turn onto the base leg, and by the time they had reached the final leg, he had still not extended the landing gear. When the instructor asked him to go-around, he instead extended the landing gear, and then forgot to retract it during the subsequent climbout.

The instructor stated that the pilot consistently had difficulty maintaining the correct approach speeds and often landed hard. He had trained the pilot in the use of speed brakes during the landing approach. About 2 months before the accident, the pilot landed the airplane so hard that it sustained a propeller strike and the nose gear was damaged.

The pilot continued to receive flight training, and by the time of the accident, he had accrued 50.4 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane make and model, 32.4 hours of which were solo. He last received flight instruction on June 9, 2018.

The pilots flight logbooks indicated that he had flown to BKE one time before, on April 18, 2018, for what was a solo flight in the accident airplane.

Student Pilot-Rated Passenger

The passenger was the partner of the pilot. She held a student pilot certificate issued on April 9, 2018, and a third-class medical certificate issued on January 31, 2018. At the time of examination, she reported 6 total flight hours in the preceding 6 months. No pilot logbooks were recovered; however, the pilot's instructor stated that the passenger had about 40 hours of flight experience.

The pilot's daughter stated that her father typically likes to fly with pilots who are more experienced than him. Likewise, an acquaintance of the passenger also stated that the pilot was interested in having a "flying buddy" fly with him. Both the instructor and the acquaintance stated that in recent discussions, the passenger had confided that both her and the pilot still found landing problematic, and that the pilot often had problems slowing the airplane, particularly for landing. The passenger also stated that she had learnt to fly because she was not confident in the pilots flying abilities, and that his skills were not improving. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe pilot purchased the airplane on February 15, 2018. Since purchase, the maintenance was primarily performed by the pilot's instructor, who also held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings and inspection authorization.

The most recent maintenance entry in the engine logbook, dated June 4, 2018, was for a crankshaft dye penetrant inspection and propeller replacement after the propeller ground strike event involving the accident pilot.

The airplane was equipped with a Century 41 Autopilot. According to the instructor, the pilot preferred to hand-fly the airplane and never engaged the system.

The airplane was last serviced with 37.65 gallons of fuel on July 28, 2018, which was also the date of the last entry in the pilot's logbook.

The Mooney M20K Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) Before Landing checklist stated the following:

CAUTION - From a flaps retracted trimmed condition, the force required for nose up pitch control will rapidly increase when power is reduced to idle and as flaps are fully extended. Timely trimming action should be accomplished to minimize forces. Control force change with extending landing gear is minimal."

According to the pilot's instructor, full nose-up trim was appropriate for the accident airplane during landing, as in his experience, the nose-down forces during landing were significant. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe pilot purchased the airplane on February 15, 2018. Since purchase, the maintenance was primarily performed by the pilot's instructor, who also held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings and inspection authorization.

The most recent maintenance entry in the engine logbook, dated June 4, 2018, was for a crankshaft dye penetrant inspection and propeller replacement after the propeller ground strike event involving the accident pilot.

The airplane was equipped with a Century 41 Autopilot. According to the instructor, the pilot preferred to hand-fly the airplane and never engaged the system.

The airplane was last serviced with 37.65 gallons of fuel on July 28, 2018, which was also the date of the last entry in the pilot's logbook.

The Mooney M20K Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) Before Landing checklist stated the following:

CAUTION - From a flaps retracted trimmed condition, the force required for nose up pitch control will rapidly increase when power is reduced to idle and as flaps are fully extended. Timely trimming action should be accomplished to minimize forces. Control force change with extending landing gear is minimal."

According to the pilot's instructor, full nose-up trim was appropriate for the accident airplane during landing, as in his experience, the nose-down forces during landing were significant. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe wreckage was located in a pasture about 1 1/4 miles south-southeast of the runway 31 threshold, about 2,250 ft left of the extended runway centerline. The fuselage came to rest on a heading of about 090° magnetic and had sustained crush damage from the nose to the forward edge of the vertical stabilizer. Both wings exhibited leading-edge crush damage perpendicular to the wing chord, and the smell of aviation fuel was present at the site.

Airframe

The cabin flight controls and instrument panel were heavily damaged, along with the control yoke, rudder pedals, and all associated bellcranks and push-pull tubes, which were either fragmented,...