ERA11CA494

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20K · Anderson, SC · September 15, 2011

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 15, 2011, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
Place
Anderson, SC
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N231KMooney M20K
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 6, 2012
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20110915022259A
Case key
81817

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 failure to maintain directional control during an attempted go-around.

Findings · 2

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.

Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotMooney M20K: 3 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedMooney M20K: 6 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause

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 landed the airplane, and, about halfway down the runway, the wind shifted to a strong tailwind and the airplane’s tail rose up. The airplane veered to the left, and the pilot applied full power to perform a go-around. The airplane became airborne, but the airspeed was inadequate; the left wing struck the ground, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest in a grassy area on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, firewall, and left wing. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated he landed the airplane on runway 5 and about half way down the runway the wind shifted to a strong tailwind and the tail raised up. The airplane veered to the left. He applied full power in order to prevent the airplane from turning, the airplane became airborne, but the pilot realized that there was not enough "airspeed" or runway remaining to perform the go around. Therefore, the pilot reduced the power, the left wing struck the ground, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest in a grassy area on the left side of the runway. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the fuselage, firewall, and left wing during the accident sequence. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident was from 280 degrees at 7 knots.

Aircraft

Registration
N231K
Reported as
Mooney M20K
Category
Airplane
Serial number
25-0004
Airframe hours
3,497
Engine
Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Inteworx.Net Inc
Registered owner
Inteworx.Net Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · September 14, 2011
Departed
AND · Anderson, SC
Destination
AND · Anderson, SC
Airport
AND · Anderson Regional Airport, runway 05, 6,002 × 149 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, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
March 27, 2010
Seat
Left
Flight hours
876 total · 770 in this make and model · 174 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
280° at 7 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
88 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
29.87 inHg
Observed at
AND

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.