- Date
- June 26, 2010, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lubbock, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3495XMooney M20F
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Lubbock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100626037159A
- Case key
- 76455
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The student pilot's failure to maintain control during a go-around.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The student pilot was landing with a headwind of 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots. When the airplane was on short final approach, at about 10 to 12 feet above the runway, the student pilot said that the airplane "fell out of the sky...and bounced on all three wheels." He then applied full power and attempted a go-around. While still airborne, the right wing of the airplane struck a tree approximately 125 feet to the left of the runway centerline. The impact with the tree sheared off the outboard three feet of the right wing and the airplane then struck level terrain and came to rest upright. There was a fuel spill, but no post-impact fire. The impacts caused substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, engine mounts, landing gear, and tail surfaces. The student pilot reported that he was not injured. An examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was landing on a 3,500 feet long by 70 feet wide asphalt runway with a headwind of 15 knots with gusts to 22 knots. When the airplane was on short final approach at about 10 to 12 feet above the runway the student pilot said "she [the airplane] fell out of the sky... and bounced on all three wheels". He then applied full power and attempted a go-around. While still airborne, during the go-around attempt, the right wing of the airplane struck a tree approximately 125 feet to the left of the runway centerline. The impact with the tree sheared off the outboard three feet of the right wing and the airplane then struck level terrain and came to rest upright. There was a fuel spill, but no post-impact fire. The impacts caused substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, engine mounts, landing gear, and tail surfaces. The student pilot reported that he was not injured. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3495X
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 670034
- Airframe hours
- 2,781
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FWS · Burleson, TX
- Destination
- F82 · Lubbock, TX
- Airport
- F82 · Town and Country Airpark, runway 17, 3,500 × 70 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 24, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 104 total · 84 in this make and model · 27 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- LBB, 348 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 23, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.