# NTSB DFW07IA204: Mooney M20TN, N353TW, Kerrville, TX, September 8, 2007 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: September 8, 2007, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Kerrville, TX - Coordinates: 29.976943, -99.085556 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9769&lon=-99.0856&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 30, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO, Mooney Aircraft Company - NTSB case key (mKey): 66712 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW07IA204 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66712/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW07IA204 ## Probable cause The incorrect wire labeling, resulting in the trim controls operating in the opposite direction of the pilot's input. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - maintenance,installation - not corrected, other maintenance personnel (contributing factor) - flt control syst,elevator trim/tab control - reversed (cause) - electrical system - incorrect, manufacturer (cause) - Gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown ## Analysis The pilot reported that during the approach and landing, the nose of the airplane "was very heavy", and he was unable to keep the nose landing gear from striking the runway. An inspection of the airplane revealed that the elevator (pitch) trim control was reversed. The 2007 model airplane had a provision for the installation of an aftermarket electric trim option. This meant that the airplane was delivered to the customer without an operating electric trim system in order that the airplane could be retrofitted at a later date. Prior to its departure from the previous airport, the airplane's manual electric trim was enabled in accordance with the appropriate manufactures service bulletin. A subsequent inspection by the airplane manufacturer revealed that the wires connecting the yoke's trim control switch were incorrectly labeled. Therefore, incorporating the trim system service bulletin would reverse the direction of the pitch trim control from the pilot's input. ## Factual narrative On September 8, 2007, approximately 1700 central daylight time, a single-engine Mooney M20TN airplane, N353TW, registered to Tri-Went, Inc., of Knoxville, Tennessee, received minor damage during a hard landing at the Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field (KERV) near Kerrville, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), near Columbia, South Carolina, about 1245 eastern daylight time. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, the pilot reported that during the first approach and attempted landing, the nose of the airplane "was very heavy", and he was unable to keep the airplane from bouncing hard on to the runway. On the final landing attempt, the airplane struck the runway hard enough for the propeller to contact the runway and cause the nose gear to collapse. The inspector noted that the airplane's nose landing gear, engine cowling, and the propeller were damaged during the incident. Additionally, during an inspection of the airplane, it was noted that the elevator (pitch) trim control was reversed. The 2007 model airplane was delivered to the customer without an operating electric trim system, in order that the airplane could be retrofitted at a later date. Prior to its departure from CAE, Mooney Service Bulletin M20-298 was completed on the airplane, which enabled the use of the manual electric trim function. During a subsequent inspection by the airplane manufacturer, it was discovered that the wires connecting the yoke's manual electric trim switch were incorrectly labeled. Therefore, after incorporating Mooney Service Bulletin M20-298, the direction of the pitch trim control movement was reversed from the pilot's input. ## Aircraft - Registration: N353TW (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Mooney M20TN - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 31-0028 - Engines: Continental TSIO-550 280 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Tri-Went Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: CAE, COLUMBIA, SC - Destination: ERV, KERRVILLE, TX - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: ERV, Kerrville Muni/Louis Schreiner, runway 12, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 35; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 2,000 total, 600 in this make and model, 1,050 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,100 ft overcast - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: KERV, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20070908023709I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070908023709I), Sep 8, 2007: Moone M20TN, Kerrville, TX, Minor damage. (-23) On 09-08-07 at 17:45 Mooney N353TW made an emergency landing at the Kerrville TX airport. The nose gear was damaged, and the prop struck the runway. The… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.