Accident Details
On July 19, 2012, at approximately 1109 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20E, registration N2609W, was substantially damaged during a runway excursion while landing on runway 28 at Centennial Airport (APA) in Englewood, Colorado. The aircraft was operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from Pioneer Village Field Airport in Minden, Nebraska, at about 0815.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the airplane began to veer to the left during the landing roll. He attempted to maintain directional control using right rudder and steering inputs, as well as asymmetric braking, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway pavement and struck a ditch before coming to rest. The pilot noted that the ground adjacent to the runway was muddy, which he believed caused the airplane to yaw and increased the departure angle from the runway. In his written statement, he suggested that a brake malfunction might have precipitated the event.
Airport Operations Observations
An airport operations representative reported that the airplane exited the south side of runway 28 approximately 1,000 feet from the arrival end. The aircraft came to rest about 100 yards off the runway. During the accident sequence, the nose landing gear collapsed. The representative noted that wind conditions were light and the runway pavement was dry at the time.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the right wing spar was deformed in the area of the landing gear side brace attachment bracket, requiring repair. Inspection of the nosewheel steering and main landing gear brakes found no anomalies consistent with a loss of directional control.
Weather Conditions
At 1053, the recorded wind at APA was variable at 3 knots. At 1153, the recorded wind was from 140 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots.