Mooney M20 accident near Fort Meade, Maryland, November 22, 2015
On November 22, 2015 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1965 Mooney M20, registered N5512Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Fort Meade, Maryland (Tipton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2015 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Meade, Maryland · Tipton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20 E, built 1965 · all M20s on the register
- Registration
- N5512Q · no longer on the register · serial 609
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, during the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane's climb rate seemed "lethargic." The pilot elected to remain in the airport traffic pattern, and after turning onto the downwind leg, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain adequate airspeed to reach the runway and landed adjacent to the runway. The right wing and engine firewall were damaged during the forced landing. A postaccident test run of the engine using the fuel onboard at the time of the accident did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the loss of power could not be determined.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 1,270 hours in all; 329 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,208 as pilot in command; 2 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 21, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,956 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 2014; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 3,956 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FME Fort Meade MD at 6:25 pm
- Destination: TVI Thomasville GA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 28, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from FME
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.