- Date
- June 12, 2011, 17:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Monroeville, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6936NMooney M-20G
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Allegheny FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110612019329A
- Case key
- 80735
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 airplane control during takeoff.
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 elected to conduct a soft field takeoff due to rough irregularities in the runway. After fully extending the flaps, the pilot initiated the takeoff run, and the airplane became airborne within 200 to 300 feet. The pilot had difficulty keeping the airplane's pitch attitude low, and upon reaching tree-height the airplane stalled. The airplane descended and rolled to the left. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent, and the airplane impacted the ground and was subsequently consumed by a postimpact fire.
Factual narrative
The pilot elected to conduct a soft field takeoff due to rough irregularities in the runway. After fully extending the flaps the pilot initiated the takeoff run, and the airplane became airborne within 200 to 300 feet. The pilot had difficulty keeping the airplane's pitch attitude low, and upon reaching tree height the airplane stalled. The airplane then began to descend and rolled to the left. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent, the airplane impacted the ground, and was subsequently consumed by a post-impact fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6936N
- Reported as
- Mooney M-20G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 680149
- Airframe hours
- 7,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 4G0 · Monroeville, PA
- Destination
- CRW · Charelston, WV
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 4G0 · Pittsburgh-Monroeville Airport, runway 05, 2,280 × 28 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 2,800 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,800 total · 5,700 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC, 9 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB 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.