- Date
- April 16, 2018, 14:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6868Mooney M20R
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180416003749A
- Case key
- 97085
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 landing long in tailwind conditions with insufficient runway remaining to stop the airplane.
Findings · 4
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, the airplane encountered a tailwind gust during landing. He reported that he frequented the airport and that it was common practice to land with a tailwind because of the preferred up-sloping runway. He asserted that he underestimated the significance of the wind conditions and that, when the airplane touched down, it was too late to abort the landing. The ground speed was too fast, and the airplane exited the departure end of the runway and collided with an embankment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The METAR at the nearest airport, 2 nautical miles from the accident site, reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 160° at 17 knots, gusting to 24 knots. The pilot landed on runway 30. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a tailwind gust during landing. He reported that he frequented the airport and it was common practice to land with a tailwind because of the preferred upsloping runway. He asserted that he underestimated the significance of the wind conditions, and that when the airplane touched down, it was too late to abort the landing. The airplane's ground speed was too fast, and the airplane exited the departure end of the runway and collided with an embankment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing. The METAR at the nearest airport was 2 nautical miles from the accident site and reported that about the time of the accident the wind was from 160° at 17 knots and gusting to 24 knots. The pilot landed on runway 30. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6868
- Reported as
- Mooney M20R (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29-0385
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 390
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-550-G7B, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 2017
- Departed
- LFK · Lufkin, TX
- Destination
- T94 · San Antonio, TX
- Airport
- T94 · Twin-Oaks, runway 30, 2,225 × 30 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 6, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 19,000 total · 40 in this make and model · 19,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 17 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KSAT, 2 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 677 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.