Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary CEN11CA583

Cresson, TX, USA

Aircraft #1

N1149D

MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K

Analysis

On the pilot’s second landing attempt, the airplane landed hard on the main landing gear and bounced. The pilot lost control during the bounce, resulting in the airplane touching down hard on the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid sideways off of the runway. The airplane impacted obstructions and both main landing gear legs collapsed, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The pilot reported that his airspeed was too fast and that the accident would not have happened if he had aborted the landing after the first hard bounce.

Factual Information

On the pilot’s second landing attempt, the airplane landed hard on the main landing gear and bounced. The pilot lost control during the bounce, resulting in the airplane touching down hard on the nose landing gear. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid sideways off of the runway. The airplane struck obstructions and both main landing gear legs collapsed. The impact caused substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The pilot reported that his airspeed must have been too fast on the first touchdown and that the accident would not have happened if he had just aborted the landing after the first hard bounce.

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot’s inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and subsequent failure to maintain directional control of the airplane.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

Get all the details on your iPhone or iPad with:

Aviation Accidents App

In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports