What happened
On January 31, 2019, a Mooney M20K, registration N56359, was destroyed following an accident near Katy, Texas. The flight originated from El Paso International Airport (ELP) with the intention of landing at West Houston Airport (IWS).
The pilot had previously experienced electrical issues during a flight from California to El Paso the day before, which included a low battery indication and a period where the instrument panel went dark. Following the arrival in El Paso, the pilot decided to proceed to Houston under visual flight rules (VFR).
As the flight approached the Houston area, the pilot encountered weather conditions including light rain, an overcast ceiling of approximately 900 to 1,000 feet, and reduced visibility. Witnesses near the accident site reported seeing the aircraft fly low and strike powerlines at a road intersection. Following the impact with the lines, the aircraft was observed to pitch upward before entering a nose-down dive into the ground.
The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.