No fatalities

21 Jul 2012: MOONEY M20J — John C. Bartholomew — Oshkosh, WI

Oshkosh, WI, United States

On 21 Jul 2012, a MOONEY M20J operated by John C. Bartholomew was involved in an aviation accident near Oshkosh, WI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s excessive airspeed at touchdown and his loss of control of the airplane during the landing roll. 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 pilot landing at EAA AirVenture bounced on runway 36R, veered into grass, struck a taxiway light, then crossed a service road and collided with six parked heavy military vehicles, substantially damaging both wings and the firewall.

Incident Overview

During the EAA AirVenture fly-in, a pilot was cleared to land on runway 36R, which is a 6,300-foot taxiway paralleling the right side of runway 36, designated for takeoffs and landings as directed by the control tower. The pilot reported receiving instructions to land abeam the "yellow dot" located on the adjacent runway 36L, 2,900 feet from the runway threshold.

Sequence of Events

The pilot stated that while concentrating on touching down at the yellow dot, he forced the airplane onto the runway at an excessive airspeed. The resulting touchdown led to two or three bounces, after which the airplane departed the right side of the runway/taxiway and entered the grass area. There, it contacted a taxiway light. The pilot noted that the brakes were ineffective due to the speed and grassy surface. The airplane continued across a service road and struck six heavy military vehicles that were among a row of parked vehicles.

Damage and Pilot Statement

Both wings and the firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane. No injuries were specified in the source.

Contributing factors

PilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintainedDirectional control — Not attained/maintained