- Date
- November 22, 2023, 17:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Meridianville, AL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9339MMooney M20F
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- 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
- FAA report
- 20231122019309A
- Case key
- 193420
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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while on final approach to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, a loss of airplane control, and impact with terrain.
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.
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 reported that, while turning from the left base to the final approach leg of the airport traffic pattern, the airplane’s stall warning horn sounded. The pilot pitched the airplane’s nose down and increased engine power. The airplane then “violent[ly]” pitched up and to the left. He continued his attempt to regain control, but the airplane then pitched up and to the right, and eventually impacted terrain about 200 ft short of the runway threshold. The pilot and passenger incurred minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage, both wings, and engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9339M
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 670253
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 5,382
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- M89 · Arkadelphia, AR
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- MDQ · Huntsville Exec Tom Sharp Jr Fld, runway 18, 6,500 × 100 ft
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,455 total · 316 in this make and model · 1,352 as pilot in command · 12.9 in the last 90 days · 10.9 in the last 30 days · 6.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- MDQ
- METAR
- KMDQ 222315Z AUTO 31005KT 10SM OVC033 07/03 A3010 RMK A02 T00730031
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.