What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft veered to the right on landing and could not correct rudder, pilot applied full power to takeoff, acft exited rwy to right. Acft sustained substantial damage. (.4) on July 25, 1998, about 1530 central daylight time, a Mooney M-20J, N91381, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 instrucitonal flight, crashed into brush and trees adjacent to runway 18 at Thomas c. Russell field, Alexander City, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated about 38 minutes before the accident. The student pilot stated his landing looked normal until the actual touchdown, when the airplane, "pulled violently to the right." The ensuing skid caused the airplane to leave the runway, off the right edge into the grass, and the pilot's attempt to initiate a go-around resulted in a collision with peripheral brush and small trees. The airplane came to rest about 170 degrees off runway heading, in the brush, with substantial skin damage, and right wing spar damage. Winds reported by the nearest weather reporting facility, montgomery afss, reported the winds at the time of the occurrence as variable at 3 knots. Subsequent examination of the airplane's braking and steering systems by an A&P mechanic revealed no mechanical discrepancies. (-23) pilot stated that on his second approach he landed long. He then noticed that the aircraft was veering off to the right side. He tried to control aircraft and added power for a go around, aircraft then hit trees on right side of runway. Right outer wing took major impact swinging aricraft around and into heavy brush and trees.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT ON LANDING AND COULD NOT CORRECT RUDDER, PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER TO TAKEOFF, ACFT EXITED RWY TO RIGHT. ACFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.4) ON JULY 25, 1998, ABOUT 1530 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M-20J, N91381, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCITONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED INTO BRUSH AND TREES ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 18 AT THOMAS C. RUSSELL FIELD, ALEXANDER CITY, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 38 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED HIS LANDING LOOKED NORMAL UNTIL THE ACTUAL TOUCHDOWN, WHEN THE AIRPLANE, "PULLED VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT." THE ENSUING SKID CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO LEAVE THE RUNWAY, OFF THE RIGHT EDGE INTO THE GRASS, AND THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO INITIATE A GO-AROUND RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH PERIPHERAL BRUSH AND SMALL TREES. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 170 DEGREES OFF RUNWAY HEADING, IN THE BRUSH, WITH SUBSTANTIAL SKIN DAMAGE, AND RIGHT WING SPAR DAMAGE. WINDS REPORTED BY THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY, MONTGOMERY AFSS, REPORTED THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE AS VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S BRAKING AND STEERING SYSTEMS BY AN A&P MECHANIC REVEALED NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT ON HIS SECOND APPROACH HE LANDED LONG. HE THEN NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS VEERING OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE. HE TRIED TO CONTROL AIRCRAFT AND ADDED POWER FOR A GO AROUND, AIRCRAFT THEN HIT TREES ON RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY. RIGHT OUTER WING TOOK MAJOR IMPACT SWINGING ARICRAFT AROUND AND INTO HEAVY BRUSH AND TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N91381 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.