WPR20CA181

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20J · Healdsburg, CA · June 5, 2020

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal report
Date
June 5, 2020, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
Place
Healdsburg, CA
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N201JKMooney M20J
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20200605011779A
Case key
101437

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 of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a landing gear collapse.

Findings · 1

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotMooney M20J: 36 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 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

The pilot reported that on downwind for landing on runway 13, he observed that the wind tetrahedron indicated a west wind and the windsock was flapping around. While on base leg, the pilot experienced slight turbulence. The pilot reported that on touchdown, there were some "sudden gusts," and as he added normal braking, the right tire failed, which caused a loss of directional control and subsequent skid. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid to a stop on the taxiway. The aft fuselage was substantially damaged. A witness reported that the airplane touched down about halfway down the runway with an estimated 15 knot tailwind. The pilot applied the brakes and the airplane skidded down the runway. Shortly after, the right tire "blew out," and the airplane continued to slide sideways down the runway. Subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing and tail struck the runway. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N201JK
Reported as
Mooney M20J (No Series)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
24-0040
Built
1976
Airframe hours
3,536.5
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · February 20, 2020 · 17 hours before
Departed
O69 · Petaluma, CA
Destination
HES · Healdsburg, CA
Airport
HES · Healdsburg Muni, runway 13, 2,652 × 60 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Unknown

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
58
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Private, Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
March 27, 2020
Seat
Left
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
20,200 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 4,325 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
150° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
29.72 inHg
Observed at
KSTS, 10 nm away

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 MB 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.