- Date
- February 10, 1996, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Alpine, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9167JMooney M20M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960210001589A
- Case key
- 19758
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 airspeed during a misjudged landing flare resulting in a hard landing.
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
The landing flare was high and the aircraft dropped 10 to 12 feet for a hard landing. The airplane departed the runway striking a drainage ditch, collapsing the landing gear, and damaging the left wing spar.
Factual narrative
On February 10, 1996, at 1000 central standard time, a Mooney M20M, N9167J, was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Alpine, Texas. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was being operated by a private owner under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Houston, Texas, at 0730. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination and an IFR flight plan was filed.
On the Pilot/Operator report, the pilot stated that, during the final approach, airspeed was maintained until near the threshold when power was reduced and the aircraft was flared for landing. The flare was high and the aircraft dropped 10 to 12 feet for the hard landing. Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway and struck a drainage ditch. The propeller, landing gear, and left wing spar were damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9167J
- Reported as
- Mooney M20M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-0168
- Engine
- Lycoming TSIO-540-AF1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Philip T. Hudgins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SGR · Houston, TX
- Destination
- E38 · TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- E38 · Alpine Municipal, runway 23, 5,016 × 60 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
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 658 total · 136 in this make and model · 565 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRP, 20 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.