Accident Overview
On September 12, 2019, at approximately 1120 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20J airplane, registration N202JB, impacted a car after aborting a takeoff from Freeway Airport (W00) in Bowie, Maryland. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed.
Pilot Actions
According to the pilot, he performed a preflight inspection with no anomalies noted. He then taxied to the active runway and initiated the takeoff roll. He noted that the airspeed rose to 40 mph. A moment later he looked again, and the airspeed did not rise above 40 mph. The airplane was about one-third to halfway down the 2,420-foot runway when the pilot elected to abort the takeoff. The airplane subsequently overran the departure end of runway 36, broke through the airport perimeter fence, and struck a car on a highway just off the airport property.
Aircraft Damage
The airplane's left wing sustained leading-edge impact damage and had separated from the airframe at the wing root. The right wing and fuselage were also substantially damaged.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane's pitot/static system. The tubing that supplied air to the airspeed indicator was secure to the back of the instrument. Uncalibrated pressurized air was applied to the fractured tubing at the left-wing root, and the airspeed indicator moved and indicated up to 95 knots. The pitot tube was undamaged and remained attached to the left wing; it was removed and no debris was noted in the ram-air intake or drainage holes. An attempt was made to run pressurized air from the pitot tube to the left-wing root, but due to impact damage on the wing, air was unable to pass through the tubing.
Maintenance History
According to the airframe maintenance logbook, the most recent annual inspection was completed on June 19, 2019, at a total time of 4,405.2 hours. The most recent altimeter/pitot-static system check was completed on August 8, 2018. Maintenance was completed on the instrument panel of the airplane on the day prior to the accident; however, the mechanic stated to the FAA inspector that the work performed was not near the airspeed indicator.