Mooney M20K accident near Tarragona, Pt, May 12, 2018
On May 12, 2018 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20K, registered DEFTF, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Tarragona. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 3 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2018 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tarragona, Portugal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K NO SERIES · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- DEFTF · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 12, 2018, about 1340 coordinated universal time, a Mooney M20K airplane, D-EFTF, impacted terrain near Tarragone, Portugal, after reporting an engine issue to air traffic control. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed.The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Spanish government. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the government of Spain. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil Subsecretaría Ministerio de Fomento Fruela, 6 – 28011 Madrid (España) Teléfono: +34 91 597 89 60 Fax: +34 91 463 55 35 www.ciaiac.es e-mail: ciaiac@fomento.es
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.