- Date
- June 29, 2004, 21:15 local (Jun 30, 2004, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Thomasville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N77ETMooney M-20E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040629031229A
- Case key
- 59561
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudgment of the airspeed and distance during approach to land that resulted in an undershoot and the subsequent collision with the ground.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he was conducting touch and go landings. During the second landing the pilot noticed he was high on the glide slope approach. The pilot extended the flaps and reduced power to increase the descent of the airplane. The airplane descended below the glide slope and landed approximately 150 yards from the approach end of runway 22. Examination of the airplane revealed both wing assemblies were buckled and curled upwards. The left main landing gear was collapsed, and the fuselage was buckled. No flight control or mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
On June 29, 2004, at 2115 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M-20E, N77ET, registered to and operated by a private pilot, collided with the ground during a low approach into Thomasville Municipal Airport, Thomasville, Georgia. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot was uninjured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight departed Thomasville Airport in Thomasville, Georgia, on June 29, 2004 approximately 2055.
According to the pilot, he was conducting touch and go landings and during the second approach to land he noticed the airplane was high on the glide slope. The pilot extended the flaps and reduced power to increase the descent rate of the airplane. The pilot further stated that the airplane descended below the glide slope and touched down approximately 150 yards from the approach end of runway 22.
Examination of the airplane revealed both wing assemblies were buckled and curled upwards. The left main landing gear was collapsed, and the fuselage was buckled. No flight control or mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77ET
- Reported as
- Mooney M-20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0573
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360-A1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronnie M Bannister
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TVI · Thomasville, GA
- Destination
- TVI · Thomasville, GA
- Airport
- TVI · Thomasville Muni, runway 22
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 825 total · 739 in this make and model · 27 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.