- Date
- August 8, 2004, 16:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Jackson Hole, WY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N11640Mooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards Field Office
- FAA report
- 20040808016109A
- Case key
- 59854
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 aircraft control resulting in a stall/mush. Contributing factors include the windshear, the crosswind and the runway light.
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
According to the pilot, he had attempted to land on runway 19 but had performed a go-around because of windshear approximately 15 to 20 feet agl. During the second attempt to land, he increased his airspeed to compensate for the wind. The pilot reported that during the landing flare "the bottom dropped out." He increased power to go around but the airplane continued to sink. The airplane drifted to the left and subsequently struck a runway light causing substantial damage. The Automated Weather Observation System reported the winds at 1640 as 210 degrees at 9 knots. The pilot estimated that the winds at the time of the accident were 250 degrees at 10 to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 8, 2004, at approximately 1640 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20K, N11640, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain while landing at Jackson Hole Airport, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight originated at Riverton, Wyoming, at 1520.
According to a telephone interview with the pilot, he said he had attempted to land on runway 19 but had performed a go-around because of windshear approximately 15 to 20 feet agl. During the second attempt to land, he increased his airspeed to compensate for the wind. The pilot reported that during the landing flare "the bottom dropped out." He increased power to go around but the airplane continued to sink. The airplane drifted to the left and subsequently struck a runway light. Both wings were bent, the landing gear collapsed and the fuselage was wrinkled.
The Jackson Hole Automated Weather Observation System reported the winds at 1640 as 210 degrees at 9 knots. The pilot estimated that the winds at the time of the accident were 250 degrees at 10 to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11640
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0682
- Airframe hours
- 2,655.8
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2003
- Departed
- RIW · Riverton, WY
- Destination
- JAC · Jackson Hole, WY
- Airport
- JAC · Jackson Hole, runway 19, 6,300 × 150 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
- 37
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 14, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 65 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- JAC, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.