- Date
- April 1, 2000, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Parker, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N737HBMooney M-20F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000401011749A
- Case key
- 48993
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 an adequate visual lookout, due to his distraction with a flock of birds. A factor was the pilot's improper in flight decision to continue the simulated engine failure to too low of an altitude.
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.
Analysis
The pilot decided to conduct a simulated engine failure over an agricultural field, with an intended recovery at '60-70 feet above the ground.' When he was satisfied that he 'made the field,' a flock of geese distracted him, and the airplane struck a wire. The pilot then returned to the originating airport to assess the damage to the airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 1, 2000, about 1700 Eastern Standard Time, a Mooney M-20F, N737HB, was substantially damaged while practicing a simulated engine failure, near Parker, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight between the Clarion County Airport (AXQ), Clarion, Pennsylvania, and the Venango Regional Airport (FKL), Franklin, Pennsylvania. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he departed about 1600. While en route, he decided to conduct a simulated engine failure over an agricultural field, with an intended recovery at "60-70 feet above the ground." When the pilot was satisfied that he "made the field," a flock of geese distracted him and he struck a wire. The pilot then returned to AXQ to assess the damage to the airplane.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the right wing, right aileron and the horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737HB
- Reported as
- Mooney M-20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 670469
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary Gallagher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 11, 1999 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- AXQ · Clarion, PA
- Destination
- FKL · Franklin, PA
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,081 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 22,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YNG, 42 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.