# Accident 20011031029369A: Mooney M20S, Buckhannon, WV, October 31, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 31, 2001, 18:30 local time - Place: Buckhannon, WV - Airport: Upshur County Regional Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.9793° N, 80.2200° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9793&lon=-80.2200&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1008R, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1008R) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20S (registry code 5870226, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20s) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-550 series (registry code 17042, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20S - Reported engine: CONT IO550G - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 787 total, 24 in this make and model, 137 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC02LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02LA022) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011031029369A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON OCTOBER 31, 2001, ABOUT 1830 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20S, N1008R, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT THE UPSHUR COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (W22), BUCKHANNON, WEST VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, AND TWO PASSENGERS, WERE NOT INJURED. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, HE HAD BEEN GIVING THE PRIVATE PILOT DUAL INSTRUCTION TOWARDS AN INSTRUMENT RATING SINCE OCTOBER 1, 2001, IN A C-172; HOWEVER, THE PRIVATE PILOT ALSO WANTED TO RECEIVE SOME DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THE MOONEY. THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS TO FLY FROM CLARKSBURG (CKB), WEST VIRGINIA, TO LEWISBURG (LWB), WEST VIRGINIA, PICK UP 2 PASSENGERS, THEN FLY TO W22, DROP OFF THE PASSENGERS, AND PROCEED BACK TO CKB AS A FINAL DESTINATION. THE FLIGHT TO LWB WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE PRIVATE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS FROM THE LEFT SEAT, WHILE THE CFI GAVE THE DUAL INSTRUCTION FROM THE RIGHT SEAT. UPON ARRIVING AT LWB, THE PRIVATE PILOT REQUESTED THE CFI TO TAKE THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FOR THE LANDING. THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED LWB, WITH THE PRIVATE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS, AND PROCEEDED TO W22. ARRIVING AT W22, THE PRIVATE PILOT ENTERED A STANDARD LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 29. AS THE AIRPLANE WAS ON LEFT BASE, THE PRIVATE PILOT AGAIN REQUESTED THE CFI TO TAKE THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FOR THE FINAL APPROACH AND LANDING. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH, THE DESCENT ANGLE, AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE ALL APPEARED NORMAL. UPON REACHING WHAT THE CFI PERCEIVED AS THE FLARE POSITION, HE PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING. THE CFI REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY, AND BECAME CONCERNED THAT A SAFE LANDING COULD NOT BE MADE. AS THE CFI APPLIED FULL THROTTLE TO ABORT THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON THE RUNWAY, AND THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE MIXTURE ALL THE WAY OUT TO STOP THE ENGINE. AFTER THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY, THE CFI OPENED THE EXIT DOOR AND EVACUATED ALL OF THE PASSENGERS. (-23) A PRIVATE PILOT, WORKING ON HIS INTRUMENT RATING, ASKED THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT, IN THE RIGHT SEAT, TO MAKE THE NIGHT LANDING AT THE UPSHUR COUNTY AIRPORT (W22) BECAUSE HE DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE MOONEY FOR A NIGH T LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK CONTROL AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE IN THE DARKNESS AND BEGAN HIS LANDING FLARE TOO HIGH. THIS RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) WHILE LANDING, THE CFI PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING. THE AIRPLANE FLOATED DOWN THE RUNWAY, AND THE CFI BECAME CONCERNED THAT A SAFE LANDING COULD NOT BE MADE. AT THAT POINT, THE CFI "FELT A HEAVY SINK RATE...ALONG WITH A FLARED PITCH ATTITUDE." AS THE CFI APPLIED FULL THROTTLE TO ABORT THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON THE RUNWAY, COLLAPSING THE LANDING GEAR. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC02LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02LA022), Oct 31, 2001: Mooney M20S (N1008R), Buckhannon, WV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The CFI's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. ## Other reports on N1008R (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20090728012169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090728012169A), Jul 28, 2009: Mooney M20S (N1008R), Mayfield, KY, Substantial damage. Pilot retracted landing gear prior to retracting flaps to the approach position without establishing a positive rate of climb while executing a go-around. Due… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.