DEN05CA007

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20E · Broomfield, CO · October 8, 2004

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
October 8, 2004, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
Place
Broomfield, CO
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N14DVMooney M20E
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 28, 2004
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20041008026029A
Case key
60313

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing during a touch and go maneuver. Contributing factors were the excessive airspeed and descent rate during the approach.

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.

Loss of control - in flightLanding - aborted
Airspeed(vref) - excessivePilot in commandFactor
Proper descent rate - excessivePilot in commandFactor
Flare - improperPilot in commandCause
Recovery from bounced landing - improperPilot in commandCause
Aborted landing - attemptedPilot in command
In flight collision with terrain/waterLanding - aborted
Terrain condition - drop-off/descending embankment
Object - fence

Analysis

While performing a touch and go maneuver, the pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane during the landing. On the approach, the pilot configured and stabilized the airplane for landing and "all seemed to be in order." After crossing the runway threshold, the pilot felt the speed and sink rate were too fast. The airplane touched down and bounced twice. At that point, the pilot added power to abort the landing. The airplane drifted to the left and began to porpoise. Subsequently, the airplane skipped across the grass adjacent to the runway, went down an embankment, and came to rest upright against a chain-linked fence. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.

Factual narrative

On October 8, 2004, approximately 1130 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20E single-engine airplane, N14DV, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain and a fence following a loss of control while performing touch and go maneuvers at Jeffco Airport, Broomfield, Colorado. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Advantage Aviation Inc., Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed Jeffco Airport approximately 1110.

According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot stated he was performing touch and go landings to Runway 29L. On the approach, the pilot configured and stabilized the airplane for landing and "all seemed to be in order." After crossing the runway threshold, the pilot felt the speed and sink rate were too fast. The airplane touched down and bounced twice. At that point, the pilot added power to abort the landing. The airplane drifted to the left and began to porpoise. Subsequently, the airplane skipped across the grass adjacent to the runway, went down an embankment, and came to rest upright against a chain-linked fence.

An FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported both wings were bent, the fuselage and empennage were wrinkled. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. In addition, the pilot did not have a complex airplane endorsement in his logbook.

Aircraft

Registration
N14DV
Reported as
Mooney M20E
Category
Airplane
Serial number
804
Engine
Lycoming IO-360, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Advantage Aviation Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
BJC · Broomfield, CO
Airport
BJC · Jeffco Airport, runway 29L

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
59
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3
Flight hours
405 total · 35 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 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.