Incident Overview
On January 31, 2019, at approximately 1610 central standard time, a Mooney M20K airplane, registration N56359, was destroyed in an accident near Katy, Texas. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight History and Pre-Accident Events
The pilot and his wife departed Rohnerville Airport (FOT) in California the day prior, stopping in Arizona for refueling. During that leg, they experienced a low battery indication but landed safely. They continued to El Paso International Airport (ELP), where the instrument panel went dark approximately 10-15 miles from the airport; they used flashlights to navigate and landed uneventfully. Suspecting an alternator issue, the wife departed commercially the next morning, leaving the pilot to fly home to West Houston Airport (IWS).
The pilot filed a VFR flight plan and took off from ELP around 1250. The aircraft cruised between 9,600 and 9,800 feet before descending toward IWS. As it approached the destination, the pilot descended to 2,775 feet over midfield, turned southbound, and climbed to 3,300 feet. The flight track then showed a descending left turn eastbound, followed by a northward turn with a gradual altitude decrease before a final descending right-hand turn into terrain.
Meteorological Conditions
The pilot received a weather briefing at 1151 that day, which indicated "VFR not recommended" for the central Texas portion of the flight due to moderate to heavy precipitation and thunderstorms in east Texas. Although no precipitation was forecast for Houston, the briefer advised caution near Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR). At the time of the accident, local observations at Houston Executive Airport (TME) reported light rain, an overcast ceiling at 900 feet above ground level, and visibility of 2.5 miles. Visible imagery confirmed extensive cumuliform cloud cover moving from southwest to northeast over the accident site.
Wreckage and Impact Analysis
The main wreckage was found in a muddy field on the west side of a residential development. The aircraft impacted the ground in a near-vertical attitude, with the propeller and engine embedded approximately 6 feet into the earth. The wings and empennage were separated, and the forward fuselage was highly fragmented.
Examination of the cockpit annunciator panel revealed stretched filaments in the "GEAR UNSAFE" and "RIGHT FUEL LOW" bulbs, indicating they were illuminated at impact. The alternator controller functioned properly, and no mechanical anomalies precluding normal operation were found in the post-accident examination of the airplane and engine.
Medical Findings
An autopsy performed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined the probable cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing conducted by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for volatiles and drugs.