What happened
On September 8, 2024, at approximately 06:50 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20F, registration N9628M, was involved in an accident near Cottonwood, Arizona. The aircraft was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
The flight originated from Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, with an intended destination of Cottonwood Airport. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying at a low altitude before it pitched up and struck a tree. One witness noted that the engine sound increased in pitch just before the impact. Additionally, a witness reported seeing a large number of birds fly into the aircraft as it passed over a residence, after which the airplane banked sharply to the left and crashed.
The aircraft came to rest upside down in a yard next to a house, approximately 2,000 feet from the departure end of runway 32. The pilot sustained serious injuries.
Following the crash, the right fuel tank was breached. While the total fuel quantity before the accident was unknown, three gallons of fuel were recovered from the system. The aircraft's flaps were extended, and although the landing gear had released from the uplocks, it remained inside the wheel wells.