On September 22, 1994, a Mooney M20J (registration N97136) operated by Knowlton, Keith E. was involved in an aviation accident near Chamblee, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE THAT RESULTED A IN HARD LANDING, FOLLOWED BY HIS IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO- AROUND. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a touch-and-go landing, the aircraft landed hard, bounced, yawed left, and dragged a wing, leading to nose gear shear-off and a slide to stop.
Accident Sequence
The pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings at an airfield. After departing the landing pattern to perform practice maneuvers at altitude, the pilot returned and completed additional touch-and-go landings.
On the accident landing, observers noted that the airplane landed hard and bounced. The pilot applied power, at which point the nose of the airplane yawed to the left. The left wing dropped and dragged along the runway surface. Subsequently, the nose gear struck the ground and was sheared away. The airplane then slid to a stop.
Aircraft Damage
The nose gear was sheared off during the event. No further damage details were provided.