# Accident 20020807022969A: Mooney M20M, Gualala, CA, August 7, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 7, 2002, 19:45 local time
- Place: Gualala, CA
- Airport: Ocean Ridge Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.8014° N, 123.5303° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8014&lon=-123.5303&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1038K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1038K-2003-01-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20M (registry code 5870222, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20M
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX02LA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA248) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020807022969A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE KNEW BEFORE THE FLIGHT THAT THE RUNWAY WAS SHORT AND DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF WINDS AND TREES. AFTER A COUPLE OF PASSES TO LOOK AT THE RUNWAY, PILOT STATED THAT THE SUN WOULD NOT GIVE HIM CLEAR VIEW OF THE RUNWAY FOLLOWING RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN. PILOT STATED THAT HE FOLLOWED LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN, CLEARED THE TREES BUT THE AIR SPEED WAS TOO LOW, FOLLOWED BY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WHICH HID THE RUNWAY. AT THIS POINT, PILOT STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO ADD FULL POWER TO GO AROUND. WHEN THE NOSE CAME DOWN, HE SAW HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND, AND TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO AROUND, HE CUT THE POWER AND THE LEFT WING FIRST HIT THE GROUND AND THEN TREE STUMPS.

## 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 LAX02LA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA248), Aug 8, 2002: Mooney M20M (N1038K), Gualala, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's delayed decision in executing a go-around. Contributing factors were the pilot's limited experience landing on short fields and the rising terrain.

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.

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