Mooney M20R accident near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, May 9, 2017
On May 9, 2017 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2000 Mooney M20R, registered N20835, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Myrtle Beach Intl 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 total loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane sank in the ocean and was not recovered.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2017 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Myrtle Beach Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20R NO SERIES, built 2000 · all M20Rs on the register
- Registration
- N20835 · no longer on the register · serial 29-0214
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climb from a coastal airport for the personal flight, when the airplane was about 300 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. The private pilot ditched the airplane in the ocean near the shore. The pilot was rescued, but the airplane sank and was not recovered. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed about 7 months before the accident. The airplane's engine was overhauled about 6 months before the accident and had accrued 138 hours of operation from the time of overhaul until the accident. During that time, the oil had been changed and the filter element inspected three times with no abnormalities noted. Because the airplane was not recovered from the ocean and could not be examined, the reason for the total loss of engine 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 (total) during initial climb defining event
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,727 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 2,625 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 20, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,694 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2016; 154 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,369 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-550-G6B (piston); 3,694 hours total
- Operator: Premier Metals Recovery LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MYR Myrtle Beach SC at 8:30 pm
- Destination: CHS Charleston SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 9,503 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from KMYR, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 7, 2019. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Excerpts from Maintenance Records | 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.