- Date
- August 8, 2010, 20:50 local (Aug 9, 2010, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Poughkeepsie, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9153ZMooney M20M
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Teterboro FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100808040629A
- Case key
- 76914
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 improper flare which resulted in a hard landing, loss of directional control and runway excursion.
Findings · 3
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 stated that he received an instrument flight rules clearance from air traffic control for a night global positioning system approach to runway 24 at his destination airport. Upon reaching the final approach fix, he turned the landing lights on, lowered the landing gear and extended the flaps to the full down position. He observed both alternator lights flicker, then remain illuminated. He continued the approach and flared the airplane higher than normal. The airplane landed hard and bounced several times. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane, and it departed the left side of the runway and came to rest upright in the grass. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the landing gear, right wing, and fuselage, consistent with ground impact. Weather, about the time of the accident, included clear skies and winds from 190 degrees true at 8 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated he received an instrument flight rules clearance from air traffic control for a night global positioning system approach to runway 24 at his destination airport. Upon reaching the final approach fix, he turned the landing lights on, lowered the landing gear and extended the flaps to the full down position. He observed both alternator lights flicker, then remain illuminated. He continued the approach and flared the airplane higher than normal. The airplane landed hard and bounced several times. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane, and it departed the left side of the runway and came to rest upright in the grass. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the landing gear, right wing, and fuselage, consistent with ground impact. Weather, about the time of the accident, included clear skies and winds from 190 degrees true at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9153Z
- Reported as
- Mooney M20M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-0209
- Airframe hours
- 1,022
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Demitri Alden
- Registered owner
- Lady Bird of Rhinebeck LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 26, 2010 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- HTO · East Hampton, NY
- Destination
- POU · PoughKeepsie, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- POU · Dutchess County Airport, runway 24, 5,001 × 100 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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- July 29, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 17 in this make and model · 314 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- POU
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 546 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.