Mooney M20J accident near Cape May, New Jersey, May 29, 2019
On May 29, 2019 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 1977 Mooney M20J, registered N201DG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Cape May, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional flight into water as an act of suicide.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2019 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cape May, New Jersey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J No Series, built 1977 · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201DG · no longer on the register · serial 24-0110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › Intentional act › Suicide › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 333 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,233.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N87 Robbinsville NJ
- Destination: N87 Robbinsville NJ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KWWD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on December 3, 2020. 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 | Witness Memorandum for Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Video | MOV file | Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records Annual Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Chronology of Wreckage Recovery with Photos (Sea Tow) | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | 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.