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Poor flare, bad bounce for Mooney

By NTSB · June 5, 2013 ·

Aircraft: Mooney M20R. Injuries: None. Location: Lake in the Hills, Ill. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was receiving instruction to become more comfortable flying it.

The accident occurred as he performed a simulated forced landing at the end of an instructional flight. The airplane stalled as he attempted to flare.

He increased engine power, but it was not in time to prevent the Mooney from coming down hard on the main landing gear. The airplane bounced, veered left, went off the runway and down an embankment, coming to rest in a construction site.

Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare and recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in loss of control.

NTSB Identification: CEN11LA373

This June 2011 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. unclelar says

    June 6, 2013 at 9:26 am

    What a boneheaded move. Practicing engine-outs just as you are getting used to the airplane. You need many, many, approaches under power to develop the right “sight picture” to flare the airplane on landing.

    • RudyH says

      June 6, 2013 at 10:36 am

      Like heck yeah…..there’s FSX with a mooney for sim…he can do all the engine-outs he can handle until he’s ready to take the real bird out to do it…..a typical humanoid mystery to me too!!

      • Vaughn S. Price says

        June 6, 2013 at 11:59 am

        Take it from an 82 year old 15,000 hour flight Instructor.The basic problem goes directly back to the original flight Instructor. Student has not learned. Teacher has not taught. The fact it was a Mooney Proves the stress was on Airspeed indicator V speed memorization instead of flying the wing. all aircraft land the same if you are taught to fly the wing and use compression under the wing for transition from lift and always touch down in a nose high attitude. works the same from a 1924 travelair 2000 to a Boeing 707 sept wing jet

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