Accident Overview
On July 7, 2008, at approximately 1115 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20E, registration N5652Q, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a parked vehicle following an aborted landing at Big Creek Airport (U60) in Big Creek, Idaho. The private pilot and his passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Details
The cross-country flight originated from Mc Call Municipal Airport in Mc Call, Idaho, about 30 minutes before the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Actions
According to the pilot, upon arriving at U60, he overflew the airport and performed a low-altitude pass over runway 19 to assess its condition. While landing on the 3,550-foot-long, 110-foot-wide turf runway, he believed the airplane was traveling too fast and applied power to abort the landing. The pilot reported that the airplane responded normally during the go-around but did not gain sufficient altitude to clear a parked vehicle located approximately 75 feet beyond the departure end of the runway.
Witness Observations
United States Forest Service (USFS) personnel at the scene reported that witnesses observed the airplane touch down about three-quarters down the runway before the pilot added power to abort the landing.
Aircraft Damage
Examination of the airplane by USFS personnel revealed structural damage to both the left and right wings. The fuselage aft of the cabin area was buckled and twisted. The pilot stated that no mechanical anomalies were present before the collision.
Weather Conditions
The automated surface observation system at McCall Municipal Airport (MYL), approximately 36 miles southwest of U60, reported at 1050: calm winds, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 19°C, dew point 7°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.12 inches of mercury. Using these conditions and the measured field elevation of 5,743 feet mean sea level at U60, the NTSB investigator-in-charge calculated the density altitude to be 7,383 feet.