SEA08LA159

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20E · Big Creek, ID · July 7, 2008

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 7, 2008, 11:15 local (17:15 UTC)
Place
Big Creek, ID
Injuries
2 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N5652QMooney M20E
Defining event
Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 5, 2008
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20080707841129A
Case key
68386

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's delayed decision to abort the landing and failure to achieve the proper touchdown point. Contributing to the accident was a high density altitude.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotMooney M20E: 4 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Temp/humidity/pressure: high density altitudeEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcomeMooney M20E: 2 casesAll aircraft: 278 casesProbable cause
Personnel issuesPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotMooney M20E: 1 caseAll aircraft: 137 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

While landing on a 3,550-foot long runway, the pilot added power to abort the landing and go-around. The airplane failed to gain sufficient altitude and impacted a parked vehicle about 75 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Witnesses adjacent to the accident site reported observing the airplane land about three quarters down the runway prior to the pilot aborting the landing. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage and wings were structurally damaged. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to colliding with the vehicle. Using recorded weather information from the nearest weather reporting station to the accident site, the density altitude was calculated to be 7,383 feet mean sea level.

Factual narrative

On July 7, 2008, about 1115 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20E, N5652Q, was substantially damaged when it struck a parked vehicle during an aborted landing at the Big Creek Airport (U60), Big Creek, Idaho. The private pilot and his passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight that originated from the Mc Call Municipal Airport, Mc Call, Idaho, about 30 minutes prior to the time of the accident.

The pilot reported that upon arriving at U60, he over flew the airport and performed a low altitude pass over runway 19 to observe the condition of the runway. The pilot stated that while landing on runway 19, a 3,550-foot long and 110-foot wide turf runway, he thought the airplane was a little fast and applied power to abort the landing. The pilot added that as he initiated the go-around, the airplane reacted normally but did not gain enough altitude prior to colliding with a parked vehicle about 75-feet beyond the departure end of the runway.

According to United States Forest Service (USFS) Personnel, witnesses adjacent to the accident site observed the airplane land about three-quarters down the runway prior to the pilot applying power and aborting the landing.

Examination of the airplane by USFS personnel revealed that the left and right wing were structurally damaged. The fuselage aft of the cabin area was buckled and twisted. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to colliding with the parked vehicle.

The automated surface observation system at MYL, located about 36 miles southwest of U60 reported at 1050, wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 19 degrees Celsius, dew point 07 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.12 inches of Mercury.

Using the reported weather conditions at MYL and a measured field elevation of 5,743 feet mean sea level at U60, the NTSB investigator-in-charge calculated the density altitude to be 7,383 feet.

Aircraft

Registration
N5652Q
Reported as
Mooney M20E
Category
Airplane
Serial number
682
Airframe hours
3,655
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 1, 2008
Departed
KMYL · Mc Call, ID
Destination
U60 · Big Creek, ID
Airport
U60 · Big Creek Airport, runway 19, 3,550 × 110 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
69
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
July 1, 2007
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,516 total · 751 in this make and model · 1,396 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F, dew point 43 °F
Altimeter
30.12 inHg
Observed at
KMYL, 36 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.

Other investigations on N5652Q · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.