The private pilot stated that, during the flight, the airspeed indicator displayed a lower than normal airspeed. He landed the Mooney M20E at an intermediate airport to drop off a passenger, then continued to his home airport, a privately-owned, 2,000′ turf runway in Dowling, Michigan.
During the first attempted landing, the airplane would not “settle,” and the pilot initiated a go-around.
During the second landing, the airplane floated again, consistent with a higher-than-indicated airspeed, and he “forced” the airplane onto the runway.
The airplane porpoised and continued off the runway, hitting trees, a fence, and a pole, resulting in substantial damage.
During postaccident examination, the remains of an insect were found in the pitot tube. A functional test of the airspeed indicator revealed no anomalies.
It is likely that the inaccurate airspeed indications were due to the contamination of the pitot static system, which subsequently resulted in a high approach and landing speed and subsequent runway overrun.
Probable cause: Innacurate airspeed indications due to contamination of the pitot-static system with insect remains, which resulted in a high approach and landing speed and subsequent runway overrun.
NTSB Identification: CEN17LA184
This May 2017 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.
Makes my blood boil whenever I think about those idiots on AF447. Of course the French, being the French, Air France probably denied that there was any deficiency in their training, but that the manufacturer of the pitot heat system was totally at fault!
Shouldn’t the pilot in this case have checked out the system when he realized at the intermediate stop that there was a problem? Get homeitis involved?
I also agree that one should be able to get on the ground without an A/S. Perhaps something that should be emphasized during a BFR?
There are a couple of things this pilot could have done before landing.
1. climb to a low cruise and perform a stall and note the indicated airspeed as the stall warning horn goes off.
2. who doesn’t fly without some gps device. It will show ground speed accurately.
3. Don’t we all set engine rpm, manifold pressure and rate of descent abeam the numbers, to set up our base and final approach ?
I’ve had my airspeed indicate wildly fluctuating due to some bug part rolling around in the pitot tube…landing was ok.
I’ve had a tach cable break…landed ok.
Agree with Manny and gbigs. Very unfortunate mistake but I’m somewhat surprised the pilot trapped himself, being I assume familiar with the Mooney’s float, braking distance needed, and boundary of the privately owned landing strip. He did the right thing on the first approach – it sounds like get-down-itis got him on the second. I always do all maneuvers including approaches and landings with students before solo with the airspeed covered. Like this pilot experienced the airspeed can fail to some degree anytime, anywhere, but with full control of the airplane still available it shouldn’t matter. I’ve had airspeed malfunction/failure happen. What I see I probably haven’t included is a relatively small error in the indication which could be so deceiving – the feel would be close to normal but with hundreds of feet added to the float, unworkable with a short runway. In any case every landing has to include the proper attitude, noting where that is going to happen in the roundout, and estimating whether that will provide adequate braking distance with room for error (tougher to put together on a private strip that maybe had no markings).
A very basic, stone age example of automation dependency. Why I review flying without an airspeed indicator to basic students. AF447 could have used some of that training, too.
If you don’t know you plane well enough to fly it onto a runway under VFR/Day without relying on the IAS then you need to do a LOT more practice approaches and landing before going anywhere else…this is a basic skill no different than pilotage navigation.
And if you don’t know how to go around on a bounce, porpoise then you are also putting yourself into needless danger…always have your hand on the throttle when landing.