- Date
- May 6, 2007, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bessemer, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N119CMooney M-18L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070506008629A
- Case key
- 65749
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 control which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent gear collapse during the landing roll. A factor in the accident was wind gusts.
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
After taking off from runway 5, the pilot of a Mooney M18-L remained in the traffic pattern to practice landings. The pilot lined up on the final approach to the runway with 10 degrees of wing flaps extended, and utilized the visual approach slope indicator to adjust his glide path. After passing over the runway end identifier lights, he then turned to line up with the grass between the runway and taxiway, to practice a soft field landing. His intent was to touchdown just past a taxiway that ran perpendicular to his flight path. As the airplane approached the perpendicular taxiway, "the plane dropped suddenly" with no change of "engine power or tone." The airplane then touched down hard, crossed the edge of the perpendicular taxiway, and the landing gear collapsed, substantially damaging the airplane. Winds about the time of the accident were 045 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
After taking off from runway 5, the pilot of a Mooney M18-L remained in the traffic pattern to practice landings. The pilot lined up on the final approach to the runway with 10 degrees of wing flaps extended, and utilized the visual approach slope indicator to adjust his glide path. After passing over the runway end identifier lights, he then turned to line up with the grass between the runway and taxiway, to practice a soft field landing. His intent was to touchdown just past a taxiway that ran perpendicular to his flight path. As the airplane approached the perpendicular taxiway, "the plane dropped suddenly" with no change of "engine power or tone." The airplane then touched down hard, crossed the edge of the perpendicular taxiway, and the landing gear collapsed, substantially damaging the airplane. Winds about the time of the accident were 045 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N119C
- Reported as
- Mooney M-18L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51
- Airframe hours
- 1,515.62
- Engine
- Lycoming O-145-C2, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hospital Coverage PC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2007
- Departed
- EKY · Bessemer, AL
- Destination
- EKY
- Airport
- EKY · Bessemer Airport, runway 5, 6,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 91 in this make and model · 90 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- EKY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.