On July 10, 2022, about 1917 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20F, N600FS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cragsmoor, New York. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.   The flight originated at Joseph Y Resnick Airport (N89), Ellenville, New York, and was destined for Brookhaven Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York.   The pilot reported that he departed N89 with the airplane’s fuel tanks full and proceeded along a route recommended by local pilots to clear the surrounding terrain. The pilot noted that the airplane’s climb performance was “less than normal” and that the airplane was “struggling” to maintain a climb rate of 500 ft per minute. As the airplane approached terrain, the pilot considered a “hard turn,” but was concerned about losing airspeed and the proximity of the terrain and chose to continue at the airplane’s best rate of climb. The airplane subsequently began to scrape across trees in a level attitude, then settled into the trees and impacted terrain.

The airplane came to rest in heavily-wooded terrain at an elevation about 2,230 ft msl about 3 statute miles southeast of N89. Both wings sustained substantial damage. The airplane was recovered from the site for additional examination.