No fatalities

16 Nov 2008: MOONEY M20R — Indian Head, MD

Indian Head, MD, United States

On 16 Nov 2008, a MOONEY M20R was involved in an aviation accident near Indian Head, MD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusting winds. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A Mooney M20R landed left of centerline, bounced, drifted left off runway, struck two edge lights, became airborne, and impacted trees before coming to rest. No mechanical failures were reported.

Accident Details

The accident involved a Mooney M20R aircraft during landing on runway 36 at an airport. Runway 36 measured 3,000 feet in length and 50 feet in width, and was constructed of asphalt.

Sequence of Events

During the landing, the airplane touched down on the left side of the runway centerline and bounced. On the second touchdown, the left landing gear was off the runway surface, and the airplane continued to drift further left. The airplane subsequently struck a runway edge light. The pilot then attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane struck a second runway light, became airborne, and impacted trees before coming to rest.

Meteorological Information

Winds reported at an airport located approximately 8 miles northwest of the accident site, about 20 minutes prior to the accident, were from 290 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 26 knots.

Additional Information

The pilot did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilotAbility to respond/compensate

Other contributing factors

Tree(s)