- Date
- September 9, 2017, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Whitesburg, GA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1161ZMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170909017739A
- Case key
- 96010
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 unstabilized approach while landing with a tailwind and his subsequent failure to go around, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 6
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
The pilot reported that, during the approach to land on a down-sloped, grass runway, the airplane was "a little high." He added that he attempted to land short of a rise in the runway, which resulted in a hard landing followed by a bounce. After the airplane settled back on the runway, "[he] believed we [the airplane] could still stop in time." He applied the brakes, but the airplane failed to slow, and he attempted to skid the airplane sideways "with little effect." As the airplane went over another rise in the runway, it floated off the ground. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest in the trees beyond the end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the weather at the accident site, about the time of the accident, was wind from 105°, gusting to 10 to 15 knots. The pilot landed on runway 27. An automated weather observation system about 13 nautical miles from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 070° at 8 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the approach to land, on a down-sloped, grass runway, the airplane was "a little high." He added that, he attempted to land short of a rise in the runway, which resulted in a hard landing followed by a bounce. After the airplane settled back on the runway, "[he] believed we [the airplane] could still stop in time." He applied the brakes, but the airplane failed to slow, and he attempted to skid the airplane sideways "with little effect." As the airplane went over another rise in the runway it floated off the ground. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest in the trees beyond the end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the weather at the accident site, about the time of the accident was, wind from 105° gusting 10 to 15 knots. The pilot landed on runway 27. An automated weather observation system about 13 nautical miles from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, the wind was 070° at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1161Z
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1356
- Built
- 1983
- Airframe hours
- 4,454.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2017
- Departed
- CTJ · Carrollton, GA
- Destination
- 5GA2 · Whitesburg, GA
- Airport
- 5GA2 · Lyons Landing, runway 27, 1,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 7,240 total · 490 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KCTJ, 13 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB 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.