# NTSB ERA20CA264: Mooney M20J, N58066, Block Island, RI, July 18, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 18, 2020, 18:05 local (22:05 UTC) - Place: Block Island, RI - Coordinates: 41.168056, -71.577774 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1681&lon=-71.5778&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101698 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA20CA264 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101698/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101698 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA264 ## Probable cause A hard landing and subsequent loss of control. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 36 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Mooney M20J, 21 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=5870219), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis Following an uneventful flight, the pilot was landing the airplane at the destination airport. When the airplane touched down, he “experienced and issue” with the right main landing gear. The airplane then veered off the right-side of the runway. The pilot applied corrective rudder inputs to bring the airplane back toward the runway centerline, but it continued past the centerline and off the left side of the runway. The pilot then applied the brakes but found that there was “no action.” The airplane came to rest off the left side of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the nose landing gear had sheared from the fuselage and the main landing gear had collapsed. The propeller was damaged, and the lower fuselage was substantially damaged. The right main landing gear trunnion rod was pushed up and through the top of the right wing. Further examination of the right main landing gear revealed the two front support tubes for the landing gear's shock absorbers were both broken at the base where they attach to the shock absorber assembly. The brakes appeared new and no defects were noted. The right tire spun freely and exhibited two flat spots, one of which was through the tire cord, rupturing it. The tire also displayed rubbing and scuffing marks that were off-axis relative to the direction of travel. Skid marks on the runway were consistent with the damage observed on the right main landing gear tire. Given the damage observed to the right main landing gear, it is likely that the pilot landed the airplane hard. The damage to the landing gear likely resulted in the subsequent loss of control and runway excursion. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N58066](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N58066-2023-06-26), registration cancelled 2023-06-26, S/N 24-1541, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Mooney M20J (No Series) - Registry model: [Mooney M20J](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (registry code 5870219) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-1541 - Year built: 1985 - Airframe hours: 7271 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-A3B68 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Unicorn Aviation Inc - Registered owner: Unicorn Aviation Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 2020, 9 hours before - Departed: HFD, Hartford, CT - Destination: BID, Block Island, RI - Airport: BID, Block Island State, runway 28, 2,502 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 60; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review January 4, 2019; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 550 total, 391 in this make and model, 550 as pilot in command, 9 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: BID ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200718010899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200718010899A), Jul 18, 2020: Mooney M20J, New Shoreham, RI, Substantial damage. Aircraft landed runway 28. After touch down the aircraft started to veer to the right, correction input made and the aircraft began to veer to the left where… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101698. 18.4 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 17.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11412404&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N58066%20Form%206120.1_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA maintenance inspector's written statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 9 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11411915&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Written%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 3, PDF, 5 pages, 5 photos, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11412110&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf 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.