- Date
- November 16, 2008, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Indian Head, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4157Mooney M20R
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 69458
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 while landing in gusting winds.
Findings · 4
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 pilot was landing on runway 36, a 3,000-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The airplane touched down on the left side of the runway centerline and bounced. The airplane touched down again; however, the left landing gear was off the runway surface and the airplane was drifting further to the left. The airplane struck a runway edge light and the pilot attempted to abort the landing; however, the airplane struck a second runway light, became airborne, and then impacted trees, before coming to rest. Winds reported at an airport located about 8 miles northwest of the accident site, about 20 minutes prior to the accident, were from 290 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Mooney M20R was landing on runway 36, a 3,000-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The airplane touched down on the left side of the runway centerline and bounced. The airplane touched down again; however, the left landing gear was off the runway surface and the airplane was drifting further to the left. The airplane struck a runway edge light and pilot attempted to abort the landing; however, the airplane struck a second runway light, became airborne, and then impacted trees, before coming to rest. Winds reported at an airport located about 8 miles northwest of the accident site, about 20 minutes prior to the accident, were from 290 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4157
- Reported as
- Mooney M20R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29-0219
- Airframe hours
- 1,290
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-550G, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 26, 2008 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- PTN · Patterson, LA
- Destination
- 2W5 · Indian Head, MD
- Airport
- 2W5 · Maryland Airport, runway 36, 3,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 9, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 370 total · 95 in this make and model · 337 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 16 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Observed at
- DAA, 9 nm away