- Date
- November 4, 1998, 10:43 local (16:43 UTC)
- Place
- Cahokia, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1073KMooney M20J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981104040429A
- Case key
- 45186
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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. Factors associated with the accident were the quartering tailwind and the ditch that the airplane contacted.
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 landing was being made on runway 30L with a right quartering tailwind of 10 to 13 knots. The airplane traveled off the left side of the runway during the landing roll. The pilot added power in an attempt to fly over a ditch; however, the airplane contacted the far side of the ditch approximately two feet from the top.
Factual narrative
On November 5, 1998, 1043 central standard time, a Mooney M20J, N1073K, collided with a ditch following a loss of directional control while landing on runway 30L (6,997' x 100') at the St. Louis Downtown-Parks Airport, Cahokia, Illinois. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from the St. Louis Downtown-Parks Airport, at 0955 cst.
The pilot reported that he checked the ATIS prior to returning to the airport for landing at which time the winds were being reported as 020 degrees at 10 knots. He reported he centered the airplane over the runway by using a "lot of left rudder and right aileron." The pilot reported the airplane touched down "perfectly", but he was unable to control the "snake-like" motion of the airplane during the landing roll. He reported that instead of over controlling the airplane he decided to let it travel off the left side of the runway into the grass. He reported that there was a ditch in front of him and to minimize the impact he added power in an attempt to fly over it. He continued to report that due to the tailwind, he was unable to clear the ditch and the propeller hit the terrain.
Post accident inspection of the airplane by an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration St. Louis, Missouri, Flight Standards District Office revealed the ditch was approximately 6 to 7 feet deep and 30 to 40 feet wide. The inspector reported the airplane contacted the far side of the ditch approximately two feet below the top of the ditch. The airplane traveled another 60 to 75 feet prior to coming to a stop. The main landing gear were separated from the airplane and the nose gear had collapsed. Holes were punctured in the wings at the main gear attach points. Both the nose and cowling area were wrinkled.
Reported local winds 9 minutes after the accident were from 050 degrees at 13 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1073K
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3145
- Airframe hours
- 6,565
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Parks College
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 29, 1998 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- CPS
- Airport
- CPS · St. Louis Downtown Parks, runway 30L, 6,997 × 100 ft, macadam
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 245 total · 25 in this make and model · 98 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CPS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.