Kerrville, TX, USA
N353TW
Mooney M20TN
The pilot reported that during the approach and landing, the nose of the airplane "was very heavy", and he was unable to keep the nose landing gear from striking the runway. An inspection of the airplane revealed that the elevator (pitch) trim control was reversed. The 2007 model airplane had a provision for the installation of an aftermarket electric trim option. This meant that the airplane was delivered to the customer without an operating electric trim system in order that the airplane could be retrofitted at a later date. Prior to its departure from the previous airport, the airplane's manual electric trim was enabled in accordance with the appropriate manufactures service bulletin. A subsequent inspection by the airplane manufacturer revealed that the wires connecting the yoke's trim control switch were incorrectly labeled. Therefore, incorporating the trim system service bulletin would reverse the direction of the pitch trim control from the pilot's input.
On September 8, 2007, approximately 1700 central daylight time, a single-engine Mooney M20TN airplane, N353TW, registered to Tri-Went, Inc., of Knoxville, Tennessee, received minor damage during a hard landing at the Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field (KERV) near Kerrville, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), near Columbia, South Carolina, about 1245 eastern daylight time. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, the pilot reported that during the first approach and attempted landing, the nose of the airplane "was very heavy", and he was unable to keep the airplane from bouncing hard on to the runway. On the final landing attempt, the airplane struck the runway hard enough for the propeller to contact the runway and cause the nose gear to collapse. The inspector noted that the airplane's nose landing gear, engine cowling, and the propeller were damaged during the incident. Additionally, during an inspection of the airplane, it was noted that the elevator (pitch) trim control was reversed. The 2007 model airplane was delivered to the customer without an operating electric trim system, in order that the airplane could be retrofitted at a later date. Prior to its departure from CAE, Mooney Service Bulletin M20-298 was completed on the airplane, which enabled the use of the manual electric trim function. During a subsequent inspection by the airplane manufacturer, it was discovered that the wires connecting the yoke's manual electric trim switch were incorrectly labeled. Therefore, after incorporating Mooney Service Bulletin M20-298, the direction of the pitch trim control movement was reversed from the pilot's input.
The incorrect wire labeling, resulting in the trim controls operating in the opposite direction of the pilot's input.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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