- Date
- July 25, 2012, 13:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Heber Springs, AR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9145LMooney M20M
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Little Rock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120725013799A
- Case key
- 84475
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 improper flare, which led to a bounced landing and a subsequent loss of control.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he flared too high and the airplane landed hard and bounced. The airplane subsequently stalled and the left wing dropped. After impact, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and skidded down an embankment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he flared too high and the airplane landed hard and bounced. The airplane subsequently stalled and the left wing dropped. After impact, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and skidded down an embankment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9145L
- Reported as
- Mooney M20M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-0094
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fuller Ira B III
- Registered owner
- Fuller Ira B III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ATW · Appleton, WI
- Destination
- HBZ · Heber Springs, AR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- HBZ · Heber Springs Municipal, runway 23, 4,002 × 75 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 923 total · 296 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 756 KB 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.