History of Flight
On August 11, 2018, at 1017 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20K, registration N231EC, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Baker, Oregon. The private pilot and student pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
A witness located in a hangar about 1,300 ft southwest of the midfield point of runway 31 at Baker City Municipal Airport observed a low-wing airplane flying overhead toward the south. The airplane was inside the left downwind traffic pattern but lower than expected, at an altitude between 600 and 700 ft above ground level. The witness then heard the engine power reduce to a setting typical for landing descent. No smoke or vapors were seen. Another witness, the owner of a fixed base operator on the airfield, heard the pilot report being on final approach for runway 31. No further radio calls or landing sounds were heard.
Multiple witnesses south of the airport reported seeing a low-wing airplane flying south-southeast, consistent with an approach to runway 31. Two witnesses observed the airplane begin a left turn out of view beyond trees, followed by the sound of impact. One witness described the airplane turning and then immediately entering a rapid nose-down descent. Another witness under the approach path saw the airplane fly overhead to the south; shortly after, he looked back and saw it in a nose-dive.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating, issued on December 7, 2016. He had accumulated 101 hours of flight experience at the time of certification, mostly in a Cessna 152. Later, he transitioned to a Piper PA-28-180 and received a high-performance/complex airplane endorsement on January 5, 2018, after 7.5 hours in a Cessna 210. The pilot had 50.4 hours in the accident airplane, with 32.4 hours solo. His flight instructor expressed concerns about the pilot's skills, noting difficulty with approach speeds, hard landings, and a prior propeller strike due to a hard landing about two months before the accident.
The passenger held a student pilot certificate issued on April 9, 2018, and had about 40 hours of flight experience according to the instructor. She was the pilot's partner and had expressed concerns about the pilot's landing abilities, particularly slowing the airplane.
Aircraft Information
The Mooney M20K was equipped with a Century 41 autopilot, but the pilot preferred to hand-fly. The aircraft had been purchased by the pilot on February 15, 2018. Maintenance was primarily performed by the pilot's instructor, who also held an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. The most recent maintenance entry, dated June 4, 2018, involved a crankshaft dye penetrant inspection and propeller replacement after a propeller ground strike. The airplane was last fueled with 37.65 gallons on July 28, 2018.
The Pilot's Operating Handbook included a caution about nose-up pitch control forces when power is reduced to idle and flaps are extended. The instructor stated that full nose-up trim was appropriate for landing due to significant nose-down forces.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located in a pasture about 1.25 miles south-southeast of the runway 31 threshold, approximately 2,250 ft left of the extended centerline. The fuselage came to rest on a heading of 090° magnetic and exhibited crush damage from the nose to the forward edge of the vertical stabilizer. Both wings had leading-edge crush damage perpendicular to the wing chord. The landing gear and flaps were fully extended; speed brakes were retracted. The control yokes and associated components were fragmented or bent, consistent with overload. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were full forward. Sixteen threads were visible on the stabilizer trim jackscrew, corresponding to full nose-up trim (about 25% beyond the power-off landing position).
The engine remained partially attached. No catastrophic failure was evident; mechanical continuity was established. The vacuum pump, manufactured in 1994 and never replaced, had a sheared plastic drive coupling and oil contamination. The propeller and hub separated from the crankshaft and were buried in the turf.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies determined the cause of death for both occupants as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing for the pilot identified losartan and 6-beta-naltrexol (a metabolite of naltrexone) in urine and liver. Losartan is a non-impairing blood pressure medication. The pilot had a history of Hashimoto's thyroiditis treated with low-dose naltrexone. No tested-for substances were found in the passenger.