- Date
- July 25, 1998, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alexander City, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N91381Mooney M-20J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980725017749A
- Case key
- 43203
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing rollout and attempted go-around, resulting in departure from the runway and collision with adjacent brush and trees.
Analysis
The airplane commenced a right skid immediately upon touchdown that caused departure from the runway off the right edge. A go-around was attempted, but before the airplane became airborne, the right wing collided with peripheral brush and trees causing right wing spar damage. Winds were reported as variable at 3 knots. Subsequent examination of the airplane's braking and steering systems revealed no mechanical discrepancies.
Factual narrative
On July 25, 1998, about 1530 central daylight time, a Mooney M-20J, N91381, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed into brush and trees adjacent to runway 18 at Thomas C. Russell Field, Alexander City, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated about 38 minutes before the accident.
The student pilot stated his landing looked normal until the actual touchdown, when the airplane, "pulled violently to the right." The ensuing skid caused the airplane to leave the runway, off the right edge into the grass, and the pilot's attempt to initiate a go-around resulted in a collision with peripheral brush and small trees. The airplane came to rest about 170 degrees off runway heading, in the brush, with substantial skin damage, and right wing spar damage.
Winds reported by the nearest weather reporting facility, Montgomery AFSS, reported the winds at the time of the occurrence as variable at 3 knots.
Subsequent examination of the airplane's braking and steering systems by an A&P mechanic revealed no mechanical discrepancies.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91381
- Reported as
- Mooney M-20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3237
- Airframe hours
- 398
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roman M. Smyk
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1998 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- MGM · Montgomery, AL
- Destination
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
- Airport
- ALX · Thomas C. Russell Field, runway 18, 5,417 × 96 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 23 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGM, 50 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N91381 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.