- Date
- May 28, 1983, 21:30 local (May 29, 1983, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mitchellville, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9872QMooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830528025379A
- Case key
- 6075
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The acft collided with a chain link fence and a dirt bank on the final approach just prior to touchdown. The fence was about a foot and a half higher than the dirt and the dirt bank was aprx an equal height above the runway. The plt had flown through rain showers while enroute. He reported that his vertical speed indicator fluctuated unusually and the altimeter was sluggish. On his approach to land the pilot reported noticing that he was lower than he should have been. The weather was VMC but it was a dark night. About 75 ft short of the rwy threshold the acfts propeller, fuselage and landing gear hit and knocked down part of a chain link fence, including a steel post. The landing gear collapsed and the propeller hit the dirt bank. The acft bounced and landed on the bottom of the fuselage ft short of the rwy. It slid down the rwy and to the side an undetermined distance. (It was moved prior to investigation.) Examination of the pitot static system revealed about 3 tablespoonsful of water trapped in the lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9872Q
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0538
- Airframe hours
- 456
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-GB, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Lease
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 23, 1982 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- AIY · Atlantic City, NJ
- Airport
- W00 · Freeway, runway 18, 2,150 × 30 ft, asphalt
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,001 total · 174 in this make and model · 1,756 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DCA, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.