What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description: at 1535 local pilot and passenger departed college park, Maryland (kcgs) enroute to edenton, north carolina (kedf) on a part 91-personal flight. She was on an IFR flight plan in visual conditions and was flying her personally owned Mooney. After liftoff pilot used pitch-trim for comfort and control of airplane. At approximately 50 feet AGL pilot noticed the airplane continuing to pitch up even though she stopped using electric trim. The airplane pitch-trim went to the full up position uncommanded. Pilot determined the electric trim no longer worked and the manual trim wheel was locked and unmoveable. She and her passenger had to exert maximum forward pressure on the yoke to keep the airplane from pitching up into a stall.
Pilot coordinated with ATC, who declared an emergency for her, and gave her vectors to Stafford airport where she joined downwind for runway 33. Upon turning final the pilot realized she was too fast and pulled power causing the aircraft to sink quickly due to the trim configuration. The airplane landed short of the runway, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane veered onto the runway striking two runway lights before coming to a stop.
The pilot and passenger did not sustain any injuries.
Causal and/or contributing factors: initial investigation determined the elevator trim control system to be completely locked in the full nose-up position. Upon the hard landing the airplane sustained bent main landing gear doors, collapsed nose gear, propeller strike, and damage to the right wing leading edge close to the fuselage. This damage included dents and punctures where it struck the runway lights.
Recommendations for corrective action: none
Comments: none
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION: AT 1535 LOCAL PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND (KCGS) ENROUTE TO EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA (KEDF) ON A PART 91-PERSONAL FLIGHT. SHE WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN VISUAL CONDITIONS AND WAS FLYING HER PERSONALLY OWNED MOONEY. AFTER LIFTOFF PILOT USED PITCH-TRIM FOR COMFORT AND CONTROL OF AIRPLANE. AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AGL PILOT NOTICED THE AIRPLANE CONTINUING TO PITCH UP EVEN THOUGH SHE STOPPED USING ELECTRIC TRIM. THE AIRPLANE PITCH-TRIM WENT TO THE FULL UP POSITION UNCOMMANDED. PILOT DETERMINED THE ELECTRIC TRIM NO LONGER WORKED AND THE MANUAL TRIM WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND UNMOVEABLE. SHE AND HER PASSENGER HAD TO EXERT MAXIMUM FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE FROM PITCHING UP INTO A STALL.
PILOT COORDINATED WITH ATC, WHO DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR HER, AND GAVE HER VECTORS TO STAFFORD AIRPORT WHERE SHE JOINED DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 33. UPON TURNING FINAL THE PILOT REALIZED SHE WAS TOO FAST AND PULLED POWER CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SINK QUICKLY DUE TO THE TRIM CONFIGURATION. THE AIRPLANE LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED ONTO THE RUNWAY STRIKING TWO RUNWAY LIGHTS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES.
CAUSAL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INITIAL INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE ELEVATOR TRIM CONTROL SYSTEM TO BE COMPLETELY LOCKED IN THE FULL NOSE-UP POSITION. UPON THE HARD LANDING THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED BENT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOORS, COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR, PROPELLER STRIKE, AND DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE CLOSE TO THE FUSELAGE. THIS DAMAGE INCLUDED DENTS AND PUNCTURES WHERE IT STRUCK THE RUNWAY LIGHTS.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION: NONE
COMMENTS: NONE
Other reports on N3558H · 1
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