# Accident 20200602009499A: Mooney M20C, Durham, NC, June 2, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 2, 2020, 16:05 local time
- Place: Durham, NC
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.0608° N, 78.7836° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0608&lon=-78.7836&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2768W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2768W) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20C (registry code 5870208, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20CA205](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA205) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200602009499A

## Narrative

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

THE PIC WAS TAKING OFF ON RUNWAY 32, AFTER LIFT OFF AND DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, GOT TO ABOUT TREE LEVEL HEIGHT AND STARTED TO HEAR THE STALL HORN. HE THEN LOWER THE NOSE TO GAIN AIRSPEED AND THEN INCREASED PITCH AGAIN TO TRY TO CLIMB BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE TRIED AGAIN TO DO THIS SAME PROCESS OF LOWERING THE NOSE TO TRY TO GAIN AIRSPEED AND ATTEMPTED TO EASE THE NOSE UP AGAIN AND THAT WAS WHEN THE NOSE DROPPED (STALLED) AND THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE ADJACENT GRASS TAXIWAY. THE PIC STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED SOME WIND SHEAR WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO STALL.

DURING THE INTERVIEW OF THE PIC HE STATED THAT WHEN HE LEFT HIS HOUSE

THAT DAY HE NOTICED THAT THE WIND WAS A LITTLE BREEZY. WHEN HE GOT TO THE

AIRPORT HE STATED THAT THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE N-NE BUT SOMEWHAT LITE AND

VARIABLE WITH A RIGHT CROSS-WIND ON HIS TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 32. THE

NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING POINT WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES TO THE SOUTH

OF THE AIRPORT AT KRDU. THE WIND AT THAT SITE WAS OUT OF THE SW AT 12-16

KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS. THE PIC STATED THAT THE RUN UP WAS NORMAL AND

HAD NORMAL TAKE OFF POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF. THE PIC STATED THAT HE HAD

APPROXIMATELY ¾ OF FUEL ON BOARD AND HAD CALCULATED THE W & B TO BE

WITHIN LIMITS. DURING THE POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS

VERIFIED THAT ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS HAD CONTINUITY AND ALL OF THE ENGINE

CONTROLS, EXCEPT THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL, WERE CHECKED AND HAD

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND WENT TO THE STOPS. FROM ALL INDICATIONS DURING

THE POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING NORMALLY. IT IS THE

OPINION OF THIS ASI THAT THE PIC HAS HAD EXTENSIVE TRAINING RECOGNIZING

WIND SHEAR AND WHAT CAUSES IT AND DUE TO THE CONDITIONS, HE ATTEMPTED TO

CORRECT THE SITUATION BUT COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO COUNTER THE SHEAR

AND/OR SINK AIR.

## 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 ERA20CA205](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA205), Jun 2, 2020: Mooney M20C (N2768W), Durham, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall..

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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