PUNTA GORDA, FL, USA
N5588Q
MOONEY M20D
FLT DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 9 AND A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER THIS WITH ITS ENGINE LOSING POWER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THIS WITNESS THEN LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ONE QUARTER MILE FROM THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAYS 21 AND 27 IN A 20 TO 25 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A POST CRASH FIRE HAD DESTROYED THE ENGINE ACCESSORY SECTION, COCKPIT INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND CABIN SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ROTATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION HOWEVER THE CARBURETOR WAS FOUND NOT TO HAVE A GASKET INSTALLED BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM SECTIONS AND A FIRE HAD OCCURRED WITHIN THE CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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