Aircraft Is Reported To Be Less Than 2 Months Old
A nearly brand new Mooney Acclaim, N608MR (pix shown, courtesy of Lakeland FD), was lost in lakeland just prior to the start of the annual Sun 'n Fun Airshow. The aircraft reported mechanical difficulties just prior to the accident, after which the airframe was mostly consumed by flame. Other media reports have confirmed reports of a loss of power. The accident happened along Pipkin Creek as pilot Richard Simile attempted to put the aircraft down in an open field but missed and wound up impacting an area near a horse farm. Simile, 55, was reported to have suffered only minor injuries but it appears that the 2015 M20TN will be a total loss.