# NTSB FTW98LA018: Mooney M20F, N7433V, College Station, TX, October 19, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 19, 1997, 02:16 local (07:16 UTC) - Place: College Station, TX - Coordinates: 30.559003, -96.270874 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.5590&lon=-96.2709&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious, 2 minor - Status: Completed, report April 24, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20458 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW98LA018 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20458/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA018 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a go-around. Factors were :the pilot's premature retraction of the flaps, his lack of total experience in the airplane, the dark night illumination, pilot fatigue, and pressure induced by the passengers to complete the night flight. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, go-around (vfr) - light condition - dark night (contributing factor) - proper descent rate - exceeded, pilot in command - go-around - initiated, pilot in command - fatigue(flight and ground schedule), pilot in command (contributing factor) - raising of flaps - premature, pilot in command (contributing factor) - pressure induced by others, pilot in command (contributing factor) - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, go-around (vfr) ## Analysis The night cross country flight originated at Manhattan, Kansas, where the four college students aboard the airplane attended a Kansas State-Texas A&M football game. The flight had landed at Oklahoma City for fuel near midnight. The pilot reported that he had visual contact with the Easterbrook Field Airport when 15 miles north of the airport. After obtaining the weather, he initiated a descent for a straight-in approach to Runway 16. The pilot added 'while on short final he felt that his rate of descent was too steep' so he elected to execute a go-around when the airplane was approximately 40 feet above the runway. The pilot reported that 'the airplane stalled after he applied full power and retracted the landing gear and flaps.' In the enclosed statement, under the heading of 'Other General Observations,' the pilot stated that he was extremely fatigued due to the 20 hour day, the 8.5 hour flight-day and the chronic fatigue from being a college student. He also noted that he felt extreme pressure from the passengers to get back to Texas ('get-there-itis'). The pilot also stated that this was only his second night landing in the airplane and he considered himself 'to have low time' in the airplane. ## Factual narrative On October 19, 1997, at 0216 central daylight time, a Mooney M20F airplane, N7433V, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while executing a go-around near College Station, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot and the left rear seat passenger sustained minor injuries, while the passengers seated in the right front and the left rear seats were seriously injured. The rental airplane was owned by Chamberlain Enterprises Inc., of Bryan, Texas, and operated by the Texas A&M Flying Service of College Station, Texas, under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the night cross country flight for which a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 2345. The personal flight originated at College Station at 0830 in the morning. After one refueling stop at Ada, Oklahoma, the flight landed at Manhattan, Kansas, at approximately 1300. The four college students aboard the airplane were to attend a Kansas State-Texas A&M football game in Manhattan, Kansas. After the game and a meal, the students returned to the airport at about 2000 to prepare for the flight back to College Station. The flight departed Manhattan, Kansas, at approximately 2130 with Oklahoma City as its intermediate refueling stop. The flight arrived at Oklahoma City at 2315. After toping off with fuel, the flight departed again at 2345 on their return leg to College Station. The pilot reported that he had visual contact with the Easterwood Field Airport when 15 miles north of the airport. After obtaining the weather, he initiated a descent for a straight-in approach to runway 16. The pilot added that "while on short final for runway 16 he felt that his rate of descent was too steep," so he elected to execute a go-around when the airplane was approximately 40 feet above the runway. The pilot told the FAA inspector at the accident site that "the airplane stalled after he applied full power and retracted the landing gear and flaps." In the enclosed pilot statement, under the heading of "Other general Observations," the pilot stated that he was extremely fatigued due to the 20 hour day, the 8.5 hour flight-day and the chronic fatigue from being a college student. He also noted that he felt extreme pressure form the passengers to get back to Texas ("get-there-itis"). The pilot also stated that this was only his second night landing in the airplane and he considered himself "to have low time" in the airplane. After impacting the ground, the airplane skidded on the grass for approximately 128 feet. The airplane came to rest approximately 150 feet to the left of the centerline of Runway 16, about 100 to 150 feet north of taxiway Bravo. Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector confirmed that the right wing and the engine mounts sustained structural damage. The mixture control lever was found "approximately half way out" from the full rich position. The Lycoming IO-360-B1A engine, serial number L-9751-A1A, was examined under the supervision of the FAA inspector by a representative of the engine manufacturer. No anomalies were found that would have prevented normal engine operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7433V](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7433V-1999-04-26), registration cancelled 1999-04-26, S/N 22-1210 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Mooney M20F - Registry model: [Mooney M20F](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20f) (registry code 5870214) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 22-1210 - Airframe hours: 3871 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-A1A 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Texas A&M Flying Club Inc., doing business as Texas A&M Flying Service - Registered owner: Chamberlain Enterprises Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 21, 1997, 69 hours before - Departed: OKC, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Destination: CLL, TX - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: CLL, Easterwood Field, runway 16, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 21; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 160 total, 15 in this make and model, 113 as pilot in command, 47 in the last 90 days, 29 in the last 30 days, 8 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 130° at 3 knots - Visibility: 4 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: CLL, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19971019031449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971019031449A), Oct 19, 1997: Mooney M20F, College Station, TX, Substantial damage. High sink rate. Elected go around. Raised gear and flaps. Stalled. Mixture control halfway out. Caused power loss. (-23) weather was VMC for this 91 CFR night… 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.