LAKEWAY, TX, USA
N211ZN
MOONEY M20J
The private pilot stated that, during the flight, the right lens fell out of his eyeglasses. Aware of powerlines at the approach end of the runway, and with his vision impaired, he flew a higher than normal landing approach to ensure obstacle clearance. The airplane subsequently landed long, exited the end of the runway, and impacted a stone mailbox, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
On May 28, 2017, about 1200 central daylight time, a Mooney M20J airplane, N211ZN, impacted ground objects during a runway excursion on runway 34 at the Lakeway Airpark (3R9), near Lakeway, Texas. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial wing damage. The airplane was registered to Yarbrough Southwest Corp. and was operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area about the time of the accident and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Tierra Linda Ranch Airport, near Kerrville, Texas, about 1139 and was destined for 3R9.According to the pilot, his glasses broke during the flight. The right lens screw fell out, which caused the lens to separate from the frame and fall out away from his reach. Aware of power lines at the south end of the field, the pilot elected to fly a higher glidepath than normal and proceed into the landing sequence higher than was normal due to his now restricted vision, so as to assure clearance of the power lines. The airplane landed long. The pilot subsequently recognized that the airplane was long of the desired touchdown point and elected not to go around due to concern of obstacles in the area. Due to the long landing, the airplane continued off the runway and its left wing impacted a stone mailbox. The pilot's report indicated that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions. The pilot's report indicated "unknown" for his medical certificate. Federal Aviation Administration records revealed that the pilot's last medical certificate was dated December 18, 2007. The pilot's safety recommendation was "to purchase corrective lenses with frames that will not allow a lens to fall out" and to "bring an additional set of glasses when flying."
The pilot's failure to attain a proper touchdown point during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impaired vision due to his broken eyeglasses.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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