Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB ERA19FA184
Mooney M20J — Cape May, NJ
| Date | May 29, 2019 |
| Location | Cape May, NJ |
| Aircraft | Mooney M20J |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Miscellaneous/other |
| Pilot age | 58 |
| Pilot total time | 333 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 17 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional flight into water as an act of suicide.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Miscellaneous-Intentional act-Suicide-Pilot
What happened
The pilot was seen by multiple witnesses flying low just above the ocean surface near the shoreline. One witness stated that he saw the airplane flying about 10 ft above the ocean when it contacted the water, climbed about 100 to 200 ft, then entered a steep dive and impacted the water in a near-vertical attitude.
Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Following a death investigation, the state medical examiner classified the manner of death as suicide.