- Date
- October 12, 2002, 12:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Rexburg, ID
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N231EHMooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake FSDO
- FAA report
- 20021012028169A
- Case key
- 55893
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 perform a go-around once it became evident that his remedial action was not adequate to overcome the porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation that occurred during the landing flare. Factors include the pilot's inadvertent repeated ballooning/porpoising during the landing sequence, and a fence and line of trees off the departure end of the runway.
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 entered a left downwind for Runway 17 with the intention of making a full stop landing on the 4,200 foot strip. He reportedly touched down on the runway numbers, but inadvertently allowed the aircraft to balloon back into the air. After a few seconds, the aircraft touched down a second time, but then ballooned even higher. According to the pilot, when the aircraft touched down the third time, he "...added some power to stay on the ground." This resulted in the aircraft lifting off the runway for a third time. After the aircraft settled on the surface for the fourth and final time, the pilot concluded that he would not be able to stop before reaching the fence located just off the south end of the runway. At that point he decided to add full power in an attempt to clear the fence and complete the landing roll in the area beyond it. Although he got the aircraft off the ground, the landing gear caught on the fence and pulled the aircraft to the ground. Soon thereafter, the left wing collided with a tree and the aircraft came to rest. According to the pilot, there was no evidence of any malfunction of the flight control system or the engine. He also stated that during the entire landing sequence, including during the time he attempted to "clear the fence," the wing flaps were in the fully deployed (down) position. In his narrative report, he also stated that he has now learned to execute a go-around if the wheels are not firmly planted by the time the aircraft reaches the second VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator).
Factual narrative
On October 12, 2002, approximately 1255 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20K, N231EH, impacted a fence during the landing roll at Madison County Airport, Rexburg, Idaho. The private pilot and his three passengers were not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by Air Bound, LLC., sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed Driggs, Idaho, about 55 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, he entered a left downwind for Runway 17 with the intention of making a full stop landing on the 4,200 foot strip. He reportedly touched down on the runway numbers, but inadvertently allowed the aircraft to balloon back into the air. After a few seconds, the aircraft touched down a second time, but then ballooned even higher. According to the pilot, when the aircraft touched down the third time, he "...added some power to stay on the ground." This resulted in the aircraft lifting off the runway for a third time. After the aircraft settled on the surface for the fourth and final time, the pilot concluded that he would not be able to stop before reaching the fence located just off the south end of the runway. At that point he decided to add full power in an attempt to clear the fence and complete the landing roll in the area beyond it. Although he got the aircraft off the ground, the landing gear caught on the fence and pulled the aircraft to the ground. Soon thereafter, the left wing collided with a tree and the aircraft came to rest.
According to the pilot, there was no evidence of any malfunction of the flight control system or the engine. He also stated that during the entire landing sequence, including during the time he attempted to "clear the fence," the wing flaps were in the fully deployed (down) position. In his narrative report, he also stated that he has now learned to execute a go-around if the wheels are not firmly planted by the time the aircraft reaches the second VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231EH
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0179
- Airframe hours
- 3,444
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-LB1B, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Bound, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 2002 · 82 hours before
- Departed
- RXE · Driggs, ID
- Destination
- RXE · Rexburg, ID
- Airport
- RXE · Madison County, runway 17, 4,200 × 75 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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 24, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 266 total · 107 in this make and model · 118 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F
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 N231EH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.