- Date
- August 26, 2018, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rochester, NH
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N201BSMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180826016079A
- Case key
- 98163
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 directional control during takeoff.
Findings · 5
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-rated owner reported that he was allowing another pilot to build time in his airplane to qualify for the airplane's insurance. During the accident flight, the pilot occupied the left seat, and the owner occupied the right seat. During takeoff after a touch-and-go landing, the pilot rotated a bit early, and the airplane settled back onto the runway. He aborted the takeoff, applied heavy braking, and the airplane fishtailed and then veered left. The owner took the flight controls, but the airplane exited left of the runway and impacted a ditch. The pilot reported that, during the familiarization flight to practice touch-and-go landings, on the second takeoff, he aborted the takeoff because he realized that he did not have enough runway available. He applied heavy braking, and the airplane veered left into a swamp. The owner added that he was sitting in the right seat and that the right seat position does not have brakes. He believed that his "inexperience at controlling the airplane from the right seat" also contributed to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The owner reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot rated owner reported that, he was allowing another pilot to build time in his airplane to qualify for the airplane's insurance. During the accident flight, the pilot occupied the left seat and the owner occupied the right seat. During takeoff after a touch and go landing, the pilot rotated a bit early and the airplane settled back onto the runway. He aborted the takeoff, applied heavy braking, and the airplane fishtailed and then veered left. The owner took the flight controls, but the airplane exited the runway to the left and impacted a ditch. The pilot reported that, during the familiarization flight to practice touch and go landings, on the second takeoff, he aborted the takeoff because he realized that he did not have enough runway available. He applied heavy braking and the airplane veered to the left into a swamp. The owner added that he was sitting in the right seat, and that the right seat position does not have brakes. He believed that his "inexperience at controlling the airplane form the right seat" also contributed to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The owner reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N201BS
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1306
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 4,989
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A386, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 2018
- Departed
- DAW · Rochester, NH
- Destination
- DAW · Rochester, NH
- Airport
- DAW · Skyhaven, runway 15, 4,201 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- July 7, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 1,049 in this make and model · 125 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 23, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 215 total · 10 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KDAW, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 19, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 669 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.