# Accident 20120217002009A: Mooney Airplane Co Inc M20TN, Fayetteville, NC, February 17, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 17, 2012, 17:30 local time
- Place: Fayetteville, NC
- Airport: Fayetteville Regional
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.9850° N, 78.8894° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9850&lon=-78.8894&mi=10
- Aircraft: N118RZ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N118RZ-2018-01-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20TN (registry code 5870227, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20tn) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-550-G (registry code 17401, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-550-g) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY AIRPLANE CO INC M20TN
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-550-G
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 356 total, 49 in this make and model, 66 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12LA184](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA184) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120217002009A

## Narrative

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

ON FEBRUARY 12, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 17:30 EST AIRCRAFT N118RZ, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT FAYETTEVILLE, NC REGIONAL AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RDU FOR FAY ON FEBRUARY 17, 2012. FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE LANDING AT FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT IN NORTH CAROLINA. PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WRITTEN STATEMENT SAYS LANDING WAS NORMAL WITH MAIN GEAR TOUCH DOWN SMOOTH AND NOT SURE IF NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN. AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY LIFTED OFF THE RUNWAY WITH VERY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE.  HE DETERMINED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RE-LAND AND A GO-AROUND WAS IN ORDER. HE APPLIED POWER TOOK FLAPS OUT FROM 33 TO 10 DEGREES WITH GEAR STILL DOWN. AIRCRAFT DRIFTED LEFT AND HE SAW POLE ON LEFT SIDE. HE APPLIED AILERON TO THE RUDDER FOR A RIGHT BANK TO PREVENT COLLISION WITH POLE. AIRCRAFT HIT POLE ON THE LEFT SIDE AND SETTLED ON THE GROUND. ENGINE SEPARATED FROM AIRCRAFT AFTER HITTING POLE.WITNESS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN A&P MECHANIC FOR LANDMARK AVIATION AT FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT AND STATES THAT ON FEBRUARY 17, 2012 N118RZ WAS COMING IN FOR LANDING AND STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AT ABOUT 8 FEET AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND TAIL HIT THE RUNWAY. HE HEARD FULL POWER ADDED AT THE TIME HE RAISED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND GOT ABOUT 15 FEET OFF THE RUNWAY AND STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME THE IMPACT WAS HARDER ON THE MAIN GEAR AND TAIL. HE SAW THE TAIL FLEX AND AGAIN APPLIED FULL POWER AND GOT ABOUT 15 FEET OFF THE GROUND AND STARTED TO BANK TO THE LEFT ABOUT 35 TO 40 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AGAIN SCRAPPING THE WING AND ONE LANDING GEAR CROSSING THE GRASS THE TAXI WAY AND TARMAC. THE WING WAS SCRAPPING THE GROUND WHEN THE NOSE HIT THE LIGHT POLE AND SPUN AND LAY TO REST ABOUT 16 FEET FROM THE LIGHT POLE. THE NOSE ALONG WITH THE ENGINE WAS RIPPED OFF.WITNESS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN A&P MECHANIC WAS IN FRONT OF HIS HANGER AT FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT AND HEARD A SUDDEN FULL POWER THROTTLE SOUND FROM N118RZ. HE NOTICED THE MOONEY AS IT PASSED FROM SOUTH TO NORTH NOT OVER THE RUNWAY IN ALMOST A KNIFE EDGE POSITION. HE COULD SEE THE ENTIRE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT AND APPEARED TO BE ROLLING BACK TO THE RIGHT WHEN IT PASSED FROM VIEW. HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST  AT THE CRASH SITE, THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE ABOUT 20 TO 25 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT WAS SEVERED BY THE LIGHT POLE.

## 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 ERA12LA184](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA184), Feb 17, 2012: Mooney M20TN (N118RZ), Fayetteville, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate separation behind a large airplane during landing, which resulted in an encounter with wake turbulence and a loss of control.

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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