FTW97LA182

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20K · N Little Rock, AR · May 9, 1997

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
May 9, 1997, 08:10 local (13:10 UTC)
Place
N Little Rock, AR
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N262JMMooney M20K
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 30, 1998
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19970509009809A
Case key
20213

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 aircraft control. A factor was the pilot's failure to use the proper aborted landing procedures.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - flare/touchdown
Aborted landing - performedPilot in command
Aircraft control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Procedures/directives - not followedPilot in commandFactor
Collision between aircraft (other than midair)Landing - aborted
Object - aircraft parked/standing

Analysis

The pilot reported that the airplane landed about 200 feet beyond runway 35's numbers. After landing, the 'plane reacted as if it had been hit by a gust of wind, causing the nose to go straight up and the left wing to drop quickly.' He corrected for the airplane's attitude and 'applied full throttle' in an effort to abort the landing. 'At this time, I was approximately 15 feet off of the ground and I also pushed the lever to retract my landing gear.' The airplane 'continued to sink and it seemed incapable of gaining speed or altitude.' The airplane crossed a grassy area on the left side of the runway, touched down on the parking ramp, and struck a parked Piper PA-32 airplane. Both airplanes came to rest against an embankment. Examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector revealed no evidence of any pre-mishap discrepancies. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the procedure for making a go-around was to apply power to 36' MP and 2,700 RPM, mixture to full rich, flaps (after climb established) to takeoff position, trim to nose down, accelerate to 77 KIAS, landing gear retract, flaps retract, cowl flap open, and accelerate to 94 KIAS.

Factual narrative

On May 9, 1997, at 0810 central daylight time, a Mooney M20K, N262JM, registered to and operated by a private owner, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during an aborted landing attempt at North Little Rock Municipal Airport, North Little Rock, Arkansas. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross country flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, about one hour and 40 minutes before the accident.

The pilot reported in a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge that he landed the airplane using full flaps about 200 feet beyond runway 35's numbers. Upon landing, the "plane reacted as if it had been hit by a gust of wind, causing the nose to go straight up and the left wing to drop quickly." He corrected for the airplane's attitude and "applied full throttle" in an effort to abort the landing. "At this time, I was approximately 15 feet off of the ground and I also pushed the lever to retract my landing gear." The airplane "continued to sink and it seemed incapable of gaining speed or altitude." The turbo charged airplane crossed the grassy area on the left side of the runway, touched down on the parking ramp, and struck an unoccupied parked Piper PA-32 airplane, N7010R. Both airplanes came to rest against an embankment.

The pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that the winds at the time of the accident were from 330 degrees at 2 knots. At 0817, seven minutes after the accident, the reported winds at the Adams Field Airport, located about 5 nautical miles south of the North Little Rock Municipal Airport, were from 330 degrees at 7 knots.

Examination of the aircraft by a FAA inspector revealed no evidence of any pre-mishap discrepancies. The aircraft sustained damage to the firewall, engine mounts, and its propeller was separated from the engine. The parked airplane sustained structural damage to both wings, and its propeller was separated from the engine.

According to Section IV, Normal Procedures of the aircraft's Pilot's Operating Handbook, the procedure for making a go around is to apply power to 36" MP and 2,700 RPM, mixture to full rich, flaps (After climb established) to takeoff position, trim (reduce control force by trimming) to nose down, accelerate to an airspeed of 77 KIAS, landing gear retract, flaps retract, cowl flap open, and then accelerate to 94 KIAS.

The private pilot had accumulated a total of 25 hours in the 1990 model turbo charged airplane.

Aircraft

Registration
N262JM
Reported as
Mooney M20K
Category
Airplane
Serial number
25-1224
Airframe hours
320
Engine
Continental TSIO-360-MB1, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 91
Registered owner
James M. Morris II
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · April 1, 1997 · 48 hours before
Departed
PWA · Oklahoma City, OK
Destination
1M1
Airport
1M1 · North Little Rock, runway 35, 3,009 × 75 ft, asphalt

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
46
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
350 total · 25 in this make and model · 39 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
330° at 2 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
64 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.