- Date
- October 29, 2009, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N400EBMooney M20F
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20091029021719A
- Case key
- 74986
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 gusty crosswind conditions and his failure to maintain directional control.
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.
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
The airplane was on final approach and the pilot noted that the winds were affecting the airplane, but he did not believe it was significant enough to perform a go-around. The airplane was about 5 to 10 feet above the runway surface and it encountered a wind shear that pushed the left wing downward. Despite the pilot's efforts, he could not counteract the wind effects. The airplane ground looped with the left wing contacting the ground and it came to rest in the grass adjacent to the runway. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. A weather station 9 nautical miles from the accident site indicated that about 20 minutes after the accident winds were gusting from 14 to 19 knots.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot reported that while entering the traffic pattern at the destination airport, he received an airport advisory reporting winds 280 degrees at 10 to 12 knots. With the airplane on final approach, the pilot noted that the winds were oscillating the airplane but did not believe it was significant enough to perform a go-around. The airplane approached about 5 to 10 feet above the runway surface and encountered a wind shear that pushed the left wing downward. Despite the pilot's efforts, he could not counteract the wind. The airplane ground looped with the left wing contacting the ground; it came to rest in the grass adjacent to the runway. In the section titled "RECOMMENDATION" in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Report, form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that accident could have been prevented if he had performed an "over flight of the airport to ascertain proper wind direction and speed." The pilot further added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. A routine aviation weather report (METAR) at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, Palm Springs, California (located 9 nautical miles southeast from the accident site), indicated that about 20 minutes after the accident winds were from 350 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N400EB
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-0055
- Airframe hours
- 5,253
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Hutchinson
- Registered owner
- Sarratt Gregory W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MRY · Monterey, CA
- Destination
- UDD · Palm Springs, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- UDD · Bermuda Dunes Airport, runway 28, 5,002 × 70 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 1,092 total · 265 in this make and model · 36 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- TRM, 9 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 260 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.