- Date
- September 8, 2000, 18:00 local (Sep 9, 2000, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hailey, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1024ZMooney M20L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000908015419A
- Case key
- 50346
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 wind conditions. A crosswind condition was a factor.
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 reported that while on final approach for landing, a crosswind condition existed. The pilot was making corrections for the wind, when 'the wind suddenly and quite abruptly stopped and my airspeed dropped...' The airplane descended in altitude and landed hard about 30 yards short of the runway. The landing gear sheared off and the wings sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On September 8, 2000, at 1800 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20L, N1024Z, registered to and operated by the commercial pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, was substantially damaged as a result of a hard landing at the Friedman Memorial airport, Hailey, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from Newberg, Oregon, about two hours prior to the accident.
The pilot reported that he was setting up for a landing on runway 31. The pilot stated that this airport is his home base and he is aware of the "rather swirly" winds at the south end of runway 31. While on final approach, he was using the VASI system for his glide path, and his airspeed was 80 to 85 knots. A crosswind condition existed and he was crabbing the airplane into the wind. The pilot stated that as he approached the approach end of the runway, "the wind suddenly and quite abruptly stopped and my airspeed dropped..." The airplane descended in altitude and landed hard about 30 yards short of the runway. The landing gear sheared off and the wings sustained substantial damage.
At 1745, the airport surface weather was reporting the wind from 250 degrees at 10 knots.
On September 26, 2000, a Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector from the Boise, Idaho, Flight Standards District Office inspected the damage to the aircraft. The inspector reported to the Safety Board that the aircraft was substantially damaged.
The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1024Z
- Reported as
- Mooney M20L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26-0041
- Airframe hours
- 1,400
- Engine
- Continental TSIO550-A3B, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Perkins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 1999 · 156 hours before
- Departed
- 2S6 · Newberg, OR
- Destination
- SUN
- Airport
- SUN · Friedman Memorial, runway 31, 6,602 × 100 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,055 total · 115 in this make and model · 1,851 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUN
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 N1024Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.