- Date
- April 27, 2008, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Howell, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4513HMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080427835469A
- Case key
- 67949
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 inadvertent stall and low airspeed while maneuvering back to the departure airport after the baggage door opened in flight. An additional cause was the plot's diverted attention to the opening of the baggage door.
Findings · 3
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 airplane received substantial damage on impact with terrain while turning back to the airport following takeoff from runway 31 (5,002 feet by 100 feet, concrete). The pilot reported that after takeoff the baggage door opened and the airplane stalled while returning to the airport. Damage to the airplane included a bent left wing.
Factual narrative
The airplane received substantial damage on impact with terrain while turning back to the airport following takeoff from runway 31 (5,002 feet by 100 feet, concrete). The pilot reported that after takeoff the baggage door opened and the airplane stalled while returning to the airport. Damage to the airplane included a bent left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4513H
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0757
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Flykappa Sales LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OZW · Howell, MI
- Destination
- 1D2 · Plymouth, MI
- Airport
- 3HE · Livingston County, runway 31
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 219 total · 112 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 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.