- Date
- June 30, 1993, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Spring, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3740HMooney M20J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930630021329A
- Case key
- 18783
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 improperly planned approach and the resultant overshoot of the intended landing area. Factors were the partial power loss due to internal corrosion, and the inadvertent stall.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While on climbout from the airport, the pilot reported to the tower that he had an engine problem and he was immediately cleared to land. The pilot overshot the runway and as he approached the departure end, he established a very high climb angle in an attempt to clear powerlines and trees. Control was lost and the airplane impacted in heavily wooded area in a nose down attitude. An engine teardown revealed corrosion and corrosion pitting throughout the interior of the engine.
Factual narrative
On June 30, 1993, at 1845 central daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N3740H, was substantially damaged following a forced landing due to the partial loss of power during climbout near Spring, Texas. The private pilot/owner of the airplane sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
According to the David Wayne Hooks Airport tower operator, the airplane departed Runway 17R at 1842 and turned westbound. The pilot contacted the tower during the climb and requested to return to the airport because he had engine problems. The tower immediately cleared him to land on Runway 35L. The airplane was observed high on final approach. At the midfield point he was still fast and 10 feet off the runway. Near the departure end of the runway, the airplane was observed establishing a very high climb angle to clear powerlines and trees. Control was lost and the airplane impacted in a heavily wooded area in a nose down attitude.
An engine disassembly revealed that corrosion and pitting were present throughtout the interior of the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3740H
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0917
- Airframe hours
- 900
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3BC, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Duchesneau, Darrell A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 25, 1992 · 200 hours before
- Departed
- DWH
- Destination
- DWH
- Airport
- DWH · David Wayne Hooks, runway 35, 7,000 × 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 107 in this make and model · 116 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DWH, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.