- Date
- September 11, 2016, 10:38 local (15:38 UTC)
- Place
- Brodhead, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6919UMooney M20D
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20160911018339A
- Case key
- 94084
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 loss of airplane control during initial climb due to an excessively nose-high attitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to properly set the elevator trim before takeoff in accordance with the Before Takeoff checklist.
Findings · 4
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 private pilot arrived to a turf strip to attend a fly-in event on the day of the accident. During departure, the pilot stated he applied full aft yoke during the takeoff roll and lifted off with a nose high attitude. Soon after takeoff, the airplane banked left and descended into a cornfield, which damaged the firewall. The pilot attributed his nose high attitude immediately after takeoff to an improper nose up trim setting, as he had not set the airplane's elevator trim to the takeoff position in accordance with the before takeoff checklist. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The private pilot arrived at a turf strip to attend a fly-in event on the day of the accident. During departure, the pilot stated he applied full aft yoke during the takeoff roll and lifted off with a nose high attitude. Soon after takeoff, the airplane banked left and descended into a cornfield, which damaged the firewall. The pilot attributed his nose high attitude immediately after takeoff to an improper nose up trim setting, as he had not set the airplane's elevator trim to the takeoff position in accordance with the before takeoff checklist. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6919U
- Reported as
- Mooney M20D (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 251
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 2,434
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 2016 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- C37 · Brodhead, WI
- Destination
- 51M · Mio, MI
- Airport
- C37 · Brodhead, runway 27, 2,430 × 155 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 639 total · 639 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KEFT, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 15, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.