- Date
- April 10, 2003, 20:40 local (Apr 11, 2003, 00:40 UTC)
- Place
- West Milford, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N231LSMooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030410036589A
- Case key
- 56801
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind and his failure to maintain directional control. Factors in the accident were the crosswind and landing at night.
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 flew from his home airport to another airport to drop off a friend, who was to pick up another airplane. When they landed at the other airport there was a nose wheel shimmy. The pilot shut the engine down at the fixed base operator, and both he and the other pilot got out to check the nose wheel. He could find nothing wrong, and when the friend was ready, they both departed in their separate airplanes to return to their home airport. When they arrived, the other airplane landed first. The accident pilot flew his approach to the 4,000 foot long runway 6, with the flaps set to 20 degrees. After touch down, the nose of the airplane veered to the right; however, he did not recall any shimmy of the nose wheel. He pulled back on the yoke to ease the nose up, but he pulled back too hard and the airplane became airborne again. He thought he would touch down on the runway again, but instead, the airplane landed between the runway and taxiway, and struck rocks. The pilot said he did not experience any other mechanical problems during the landing. The pilot estimated the winds to be variable at 5 knots. Winds reported at the other airport, about 30 miles northeast were from 120 at 7 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 10, 2003, about 2040 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20K, N231LS, was substantially damaged during landing at the Greenwood Lake Airport (4N1), West Milford, New Jersey. The certificated airline transport pilot received serious injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight that originated at the Stewart International Airport (SWF), Newburgh, New York. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he flew from 4N1to SWF, to drop off a friend to pick up another airplane. When they landed at SWF, there was a nose wheel shimmy. He shut the engine down at the fixed base operator, and both he and the other pilot got out to check the nose wheel. He could find nothing wrong, and when the friend was ready, they both departed in their separate airplanes to return to 4N1.
When they arrived back near 4N1, there was a delay entering the New York ADIZ, and the subsequent landing of both airplanes took place after sunset. The other airplane landed first, followed by N231LS. The pilot flew his approach to runway 6 with the flaps set to 20 degrees. After touch down, the nose of the airplane veered to the right; however, he did not recall any shimmy of the nose wheel. He pulled back on the yoke to ease the nose up, but he pulled back too hard and the airplane became airborne again. He thought he would touch down on the runway again, but instead, the airplane landed between the runway and taxiway, and struck rocks.
The left main gear was driven up through the wing and the nose wheel and propeller were also damaged. The pilot did not experience any other mechanical problems during the landing. He said he had been flying the airplane about twice a month for the past 15 years.
The pilot estimated the winds to be variable at 5 knots. Winds reported at 2045, at SWF, were from 120 at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231LS
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0136
- Airframe hours
- 1,510
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- C.D. Aircraft Leasing Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 2002 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- SWF · Newburgh, NY
- Destination
- 4N1 · West Milford, NJ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 4N1 · Greenwood Lake, runway 6, 4,000 × 60 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
- 77
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 30, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 26,300 total · 300 in this make and model · 26,000 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- SWF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.