2018 Mooney M20C Crash Near Santa Fe Municipal Airport (N113TA)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On November 26, 2018, at approximately 1950 mountain standard time, a Mooney M20C airplane, registration N113TA, impacted terrain about one-third of a mile south of Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a subsequent post-impact fire. The airplane was registered to Nelson Flying Service and was being operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. Night visual meteorological conditions were present, and the flight was not conducted under a flight plan. The flight originated from Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR) in Goodyear, Arizona, at approximately 1500, with a destination of Colorado Plains Airport (AKO) in Akron, Colorado. SAF is located approximately 310 miles southwest of the intended destination. Investigators were unable to determine the specific flight path taken or the intended route for the original destination.