- Date
- November 6, 2017, 19:45 local (Nov 7, 2017, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Los Lunas, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N231JDMooney M20K
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171106023099A
- Case key
- 96293
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 improper glidepath during a night approach, which resulted in impact with terrain short of the runway.
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
According to the pilot, during a night approach, he realized that the airplane was short of the runway and applied power. The airplane rolled to the left and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during a night approach he realized that the airplane was short of the runway and applied power. The airplane rolled to the left and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the bi-plane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231JD
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0070
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 1,387
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-360-GB1, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 22, 2017
- Departed
- E95 · Benson, AZ
- Destination
- E98 · Los Lunas, NM
- Airport
- E98 · Mid Valley Airpark, runway 18, 4,332 × 37 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, 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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,219 total · 53 in this make and model · 1,124 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 190° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.