- Date
- June 20, 2021, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- West Glacier, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5765NMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- 20210620010309A
- Case key
- 103320
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 performance planning and decision to continue the takeoff which, resulted in a runway overrun and collision with terrain.
Findings · 4
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 pilot reported that, he was departing to the south on a 2,500 ft long grass runway at a mountain airport with an estimated 5,000 ft mean sea level density altitude. The pilot calculated the airplane’s performance using the pilot’s operating handbook, which revealed a takeoff distance of 1,800 ft on grass. According to the pilot, during the takeoff run, the airplane lifted off the ground after traveling between 1,250 ft and 1,870 ft down the runway as the airplane reached 60 mph. However, the airplane touched back down to the runway surface near the end of the runway and impacted fallen timber before it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that, before his takeoff run, he observed the windsock, which indicated winds from the east at 9 kts. However, wind data retrieved from a nearby station and sounding information indicated that winds may have been from the north at 5 kt, which would have resulted in a tailwind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5765N
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1482
- Built
- 1984
- Airframe hours
- 1,306.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Integrative Aerospace Corp
- Registered owner
- Integrative Aerospace Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 19, 2021 · 42 hours before
- Destination
- S27 · Kalispell, MT
- Airport
- 2MT1 · Ryan Fld, runway 15/33, 2,500 × 65 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, ADS-B
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 9, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 805 total · 409 in this make and model · 716 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KGPI, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KGPI 202055Z 35005KT 10SM OVC075 21/08 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP203 T02110083 51003 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 13, 2021, 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.
Other investigations on N5765N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.