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WPR24LA264

2024-08-02 · Carrizozo, New Mexico, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport F37

Current FAA registration · N9954L

Make / Model
MOONEY M20F
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ADE825

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The airplane’s encounter with a downdraft after takeoff, which resulted in a forced landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the airplane reported that, prior to takeoff, he observed adverse weather conditions that were approaching the airport from about 5 to 10 nautical miles away. During takeoff, when the airplane was about 50 feet above the ground, the airplane encountered a downdraft. The airplane’s left wing then dropped and the airplane entered a descent. The airplane impacted terrain and fences, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Downdraft-Effect on operation
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Attain/maintain not possible

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_WPR24LA264.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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