GAA19CA144

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20J · Ridgeland, SC · February 22, 2019

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
February 22, 2019, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
Place
Ridgeland, SC
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N201AZMooney M20J
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 26, 2019
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20190222023659A
Case key
99015

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 flight instructor's failure to retract the flaps during an attempted go-around and his failure to maintain the runway heading, which resulted in a collision with terrain left of the runway.

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilotMooney M20J: 36 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: use of equip/systemPersonnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilotMooney M20J: 7 casesAll aircraft: 1,391 casesProbable cause
Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotMooney M20J: 5 casesAll aircraft: 792 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: heading/courseAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedMooney M20J: 1 caseAll aircraft: 82 casesProbable cause
Terrain: mountainous/hilly terrainEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operationMooney M20J: 2 casesAll aircraft: 329 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

The flight instructor in the retractable-landing gear airplane reported that, during final with student at the controls, there were no abnormal weather conditions, but as the airplane passed over the runway threshold, the airplane encountered "severe wind shear" that he believed to be a "microburst." The airplane then pitched up, rolled left, and the instructor and student added full power to go around. During the attempted go-around, the instructor took control of the airplane with the landing gear down, full flaps, and the propeller full forward. He added that the airplane "simply" did not have enough performance to climb. Subsequently, the airplane drifted left of the runway and impacted a gravel hill. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation system about 14 nautical miles from the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots, temperature 73°F, dew point 68°F, altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury, and few clouds at 500 ft. The airplane landed on runway 3. The pilot reported that the weather at the airport was wind light and variable, visibility 10 miles, and few clouds at 2,000 ft. The instructor reported the wind as calm to light and variable, visibility 10 miles, and few clouds at 5,000 ft. The instructor further reported that, during the go-around, the airplane's configuration with full flaps for landing was not changed. The airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook, "Go Around (balked landing)," stated that, following establishing a climb, the flaps should be reduced to the takeoff setting.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor in the retractable landing gear airplane reported that, during final, there were no abnormal weather conditions, but as the airplane passed over the runway threshold, the airplane encountered "severe wind shear" that he believed to be a "microburst". The airplane pitched up, rolled left, and they added full power to go around. During the go around the instructor took control of the airplane, and left the landing gear down, full flaps, and propeller full forward. He added that, the airplane "simply" did not have enough performance to climb. Subsequently, the airplane drifted left of the runway and impacted a gravel hill. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 14 nautical miles from the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots, temperature 73°F, dew point 68°F, and altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury and cloud condition was reported as FEW at 500 feet. The airplane landed on runway 3. The pilot reported the weather at the accident airport was wind light and variable not gusting, visibility 10 miles, and FEW clouds at 2,000 feet. The instructor reported the wind as calm to light and variable, visibility 10 miles, and FEW clouds at 5,000 feet. Further, the instructor reported that during the go around the airplane's configuration with full flaps for landing was not changed. The airplane's POH under Go Around (balked landing) states that following establishing a climb the flaps should be reduced to the takeoff setting.

Aircraft

Registration
N201AZ
Reported as
Mooney M20J (No Series)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
24-0423
Built
1978
Airframe hours
3,354
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-A3B60, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · September 5, 2018
Departed
AQX · Allendale, SC
Destination
3J1 · Ridgeland, SC
Airport
3J1 · Ridgeland-Claude Dean, runway 03, 2,692 × 70 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot

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
74
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 15, 2018
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
1,174 as pilot in command
Role
Flight instructor
Age
36
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Powered-lift, Helicopter, Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
July 3, 2018
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
1,521 total · 42 in this make and model · 466 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Variable at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
73 °F, dew point 68 °F
Altimeter
30.18 inHg
Observed at
KNBC, 14 nm away

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 17, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.