- Date
- July 15, 2017, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Washington Island, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9303VMooney M20C
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170715012419A
- Case key
- 95591
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 a proper approach path, which resulted in impact with trees.
Findings · 3
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
During the final approach for landing, the airplane was too low and struck trees short of the runway threshold, spun about 180°, and then impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Factual narrative
During the final approach for landing, the airplane was too low and struck trees short of the runway threshold, spun about 180° then impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot failed to submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9303V
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 690087
- Built
- 1969
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Badger Flyers Inc.
- Registered owner
- Badger Flyers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 2P2 · Washington Island, WI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 2P2 · Washington Island, runway 20, 2,250 × 150 ft
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 14 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KESC, 22 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 27, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 705 KB 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.