Summary of Events
On 21 September 2019, at approximately 08:16 UTC, a Mooney M20K aircraft, registration D-EISE, crashed after a go-around at Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport (LIME). The flight had departed from runway 12 at about 08:07 UTC for a tourist flight to Venice Lido Airport (LIPV) under visual flight rules. Approximately four minutes after takeoff, the pilot informed the airport control tower of an intention to return for an unspecified check. The aircraft subsequently landed on runway 30, after which the pilot announced a go-around, took off again, and gained minimal altitude while flying over the runway axis. Seconds later, after overflying the threshold of runway 12, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, which violently impacted a road junction and then hit a tree on the embankment of the SS 671 highway ramp.
Injuries and Damage
Following the impact with the tree, a fire broke out. The pilot and two of the three passengers managed to evacuate the aircraft with assistance from bystanders. The passenger seated in the front right seat remained inside and died. The pilot died in hospital several days later. The two other passengers sustained severe burns. The aircraft's central section, including the cabin, was destroyed by fire; the engine compartment and propeller were heavily damaged. The left wing was missing its outer section, which had struck a metal light pole. The right wing had severe leading-edge damage from the tree impact, causing fuel tank rupture. The tail boom and empennage showed compression and bending damage from the final impact.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the pilot's loss of control during the go-around, resulting from incorrect use of the elevator trim. This was compounded by the pilot's failure to react to the abnormal aircraft attitude while overspeed, leading to the loss of the tail surfaces.