NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW90LA118
Registry · N115SD
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
MOONEY M20K
Year of manufacture
1980 · 10 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER (225 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20021029
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A0405A
Registrant of record
SKY HIGH AVIATION LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY EXECUTE THE AUTOROTATION LANDING.
Factual narrative
DURING A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE LANDING RESULTED IN THE CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT OF A STANDARD CONFIGURATION, IT WAS RIGGED WITH EARLY TECHNOLOGY RIDIG FLOATS. THESE FLOATS DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE FLIGHT ENVELOPE OF THE HELICOPTER ESPECIALLY DURING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES SUCH AS AUTOROTATIONS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_FTW90LA118.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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