GAA18CA233

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20F · Bulberde, TX · April 19, 2018

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
April 19, 2018, 16:55 local (21:55 UTC)
Place
Bulberde, TX
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N3535XMooney M20F
Defining event
Enroute: Fuel starvation
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 18, 2019
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20180419003869A
Case key
97113

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s unstabilized approach, which resulted in the airplane landing long and fast, and the pilot’s subsequent decision to steer the airplane off the side of the runway to avoid a runway overrun.

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotMooney M20F: 15 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedMooney M20F: 2 casesAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedMooney M20F: 6 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause

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 who occupied the right front seat, during the flight, the engine started to run roughly. He added that, during landing, the airplane was fast and high, and it touched down about 1,200 ft past the approach end of the 2,890-ft-long runway. A pilot-rated passenger occupied the left front seat, which was the only position configured with brakes. The pilot-rated passenger applied the brakes during the landing roll, and the pilot maneuvered the airplane to exit the left side of the runway to avoid a runway overrun and impact with a fence. The airplane exited the left side of the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane subsequently skidded to a stop in the grass safety area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft section of the fuselage. During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, a flight instructor, who was seated in the rear of the airplane during the flight, reported that the airplane touched down about 100 knots with between 40 and 60 percent of the runway remaining. According to the manufacturer's airplane operator manual, the minimum runway landing roll distance at sea level is 785 ft when the ground speed is 70 knots. The METAR at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 07° at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The airport field elevation was 789 ft, and the pilot landed the airplane on runway 34.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot who occupied the right front seat, during the flight the engine started to run rough. During landing, the airplane was fast and high, and touched down about 1,200ft past the approach end of the 2,890ft runway. A pilot rated passenger occupied the left front seat which was the only position configured with brakes. The pilot-rated passenger applied the brakes during the landing roll and the pilot maneuvered the airplane to exit the left side of the runway to avoid a runway overrun and impact with a fence. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and the right main landing gear collapsed, and subsequently skidded to a stop in the grass safety area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft section of the fuselage. During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board Investigator-in-charge, a flight instructor, who was seated in the rear of the airplane during the flight, reported that the airplane touched down about 100 knots, with between 40-60 percent of the runway remaining. According to the manufacturer's airplane operator manual, the minimum runway landing roll distance at sea level is 785ft when the ground speed is 70 knots. The METAR at the airport reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 07° at 12 knots and gusting to 17 knots. The airport field elevation was 789ft and the pilot landed to runway 34.

Aircraft

Registration
N3535X
Reported as
Mooney M20F (NO SERIES)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
670072
Built
1966
Airframe hours
4,475
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Ferry · Part 91
Operator
Zulu Aviation Corp.
Registered owner
Zulu Aviation Corp.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 31, 2018
Departed
FTW · Fort Worth, TX
Destination
1T8 · Bulberde, TX
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
1T8 · Bulverde Airpark, runway 34, 2,890 × 40 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
50
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3
Last flight review
August 12, 2017
Seat
Right
Flight hours
1,228.1 total · 308 in this make and model · 1,114 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 13.5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Role
Pilot
Age
17
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 5, 2018
Seat
Left
Flight hours
70 total · 1 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
70° at 12 knots, gusting 17
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
77 °F, dew point 36 °F
Altimeter
30.20 inHg
Observed at
KSAT, 12 nm away

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.