20030706017349I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20C · Staunton-Waynes, VA · July 6, 2003

Date: July 6, 2003 · 15:30 local
Place: Staunton-Waynes, VA
Airport: Shenandoah Valley Regional
Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N9484V
Reported as: Mooney M20C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 650 total25 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N9484VRegistered now · Mooney M20CS/N 700064 · Built 1970 Airframe modelMooney M20C Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Airman states that he was practicing touch and goes at Shenandoah regional airport in preparation for taking the flight instructor airplane practical test. On the third landing, he was too fast, the aircraft porpoised, he did not correct appropriately and porpoised a second time, this time much higher than before. He applied full power to commence a go around, the engine sputtered and before the engine caught, he struck the runway again, this time firmly on the nose gear. He continued the go around and returned for an uneventful landing. He was not aware that he has struck the prop until he was taxiing to the ramp and noticed vibration. Upon shut down, he noted that the propeller tips were bent back approximately 2 to 3 inches. The airman also noted, when asked, that the mixture control was leaned approximately one inch. When asked why it was leaned, the airman stated that it was for the air density and that was the way he was taught by the aircraft owner.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRMAN STATES THAT HE WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GOES AT SHENANDOAH REGIONAL AIRPORT IN PREPARATION FOR TAKING THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AIRPLANE PRACTICAL TEST. ON THE THIRD LANDING, HE WAS TOO FAST, THE AIRCRAFT PORPOISED, HE DID NOT CORRECT APPROPRIATELY AND PORPOISED A SECOND TIME, THIS TIME MUCH HIGHER THAN BEFORE. HE APPLIED FULL POWER TO COMMENCE A GO AROUND, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND BEFORE THE ENGINE CAUGHT, HE STRUCK THE RUNWAY AGAIN, THIS TIME FIRMLY ON THE NOSE GEAR. HE CONTINUED THE GO AROUND AND RETURNED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT HE HAS STRUCK THE PROP UNTIL HE WAS TAXIING TO THE RAMP AND NOTICED VIBRATION. UPON SHUT DOWN, HE NOTED THAT THE PROPELLER TIPS WERE BENT BACK APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 INCHES. THE AIRMAN ALSO NOTED, WHEN ASKED, THAT THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS LEANED APPROXIMATELY ONE INCH. WHEN ASKED WHY IT WAS LEANED, THE AIRMAN STATED THAT IT WAS FOR THE AIR DENSITY AND THAT WAS THE WAY HE WAS TAUGHT BY THE AIRCRAFT OWNER.