What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot stated that the aircraft porpoised during landing. He attempted to go-around, lost control, and impacted the ground. (.19) on July 2, 2002, about 1430, eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20R, N2043N, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a title CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed while the pilot was attempting a go-around at East Cooper Airport, near mt. Pleasant, south carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane incurred substantial damage, and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, received no injuries. The flight originated from mccollum field, marietta, Georgia, the same day, about 1300. According to a witness, the accident airplane approached for a landing, and it struck the runway in a "nose wheel-first attitude", and subsequently porpoised three or four times. The witness stated that after the last bounce, it appeared that the pilot applied full power, while he maintained a nose-high attitude, about 50 feet above the runway. He said the airplane then banked 90 degrees to the left, descended, and impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude, with e ither its propeller or left wing before "cart wheeling" and coming to rest in a field to the left of the departure end of the runway. The airplane incurred damage to its wings, fuselage, propeller, and landing gear.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PORPOISED DURING LANDING. HE ATTEMPTED TO GO-AROUND, LOST CONTROL, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. (.19) ON JULY 2, 2002, ABOUT 1430, EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M20R, N2043N, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, AS A TITLE CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND AT EAST COOPER AIRPORT, NEAR MT. PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MCCOLLUM FIELD, MARIETTA, GEORGIA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1300. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE APPROACHED FOR A LANDING, AND IT STRUCK THE RUNWAY IN A "NOSE WHEEL-FIRST ATTITUDE", AND SUBSEQUENTLY PORPOISED THREE OR FOUR TIMES. THE WITNESS STATED THAT AFTER THE LAST BOUNCE, IT APPEARED THAT THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER, WHILE HE MAINTAINED A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE, ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE THEN BANKED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT, DESCENDED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE, WITH E ITHER ITS PROPELLER OR LEFT WING BEFORE "CART WHEELING" AND COMING TO REST IN A FIELD TO THE LEFT OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE INCURRED DAMAGE TO ITS WINGS, FUSELAGE, PROPELLER, AND LANDING GEAR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.