20240830012229A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20K · Fairmont, WV · August 30, 2024

Date
August 30, 2024 · 15:15 local
Place
Fairmont, WV
Airport
Fairmont Municipal-Frankman Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1005U
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA24LA366
Reported as
Mooney M20K
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,484 total

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.

Approch to 4G7 runway 5, with gear down the acft came in too fast and was not going to be able to stop so the pilot coducted a "go-around". The acft did not have enough power or lift to clear the trees at the end of the runway. The acft struck multiple trees before coming in contact with a significantly larger tree with multiple branches that stuck the left wing causing the left wing to fracture and the acft to rotate 180 degrees from runway 5 crash landing in a clearing.

As the FAA filed it

APPROCH TO 4G7 RUNWAY 5, WITH GEAR DOWN THE ACFT CAME IN TOO FAST AND WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP SO THE PILOT CODUCTED A "GO-AROUND". THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER OR LIFT TO CLEAR THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ACFT STRUCK MULTIPLE TREES BEFORE COMING IN CONTACT WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER TREE WITH MULTIPLE BRANCHES THAT STUCK THE LEFT WING CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO FRACTURE AND THE ACFT TO ROTATE 180 DEGREES FROM RUNWAY 5 CRASH LANDING IN A CLEARING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.