Flight History
On November 16, 2014, a privately owned Mooney M20K, registered JA4017, departed Yamaguchi-Ube Airport at approximately 16:58 JST for a familiarization flight with a captain and one passenger on board. The flight plan specified a VFR route to Kitakyushu Airport with an estimated elapsed time of 40 minutes. While landing on Runway 18 at Kitakyushu Airport around 17:22, the aircraft bounced twice on touchdown. After the second bounce, the passenger advised the captain to perform a go-around. The captain applied full power, but the nose yawed to the left and the aircraft departed the runway at low altitude. The passenger noted that the pitch was unstable and the captain appeared to be struggling with pitch control. The aircraft then collided with a revetment wall on the east side of the runway.
According to the air traffic controller, the aircraft had touched down normally near the runway centerline, then lifted off again after passing taxiway T-2, suddenly changing heading to the left before the collision. The controller reported wind from 170–180° at 3 kt and good visibility. The accident occurred around 17:22 JST at latitude 33°50'59" N, longitude 131°02'10" E.
Injuries and Damage
Both the captain and the passenger sustained serious injuries, including fractures. The aircraft was destroyed. The fuselage was distorted and cracked, the front section broken, the left main wing broken off, the engine mount broken, the propeller detached, and both main and nose landing gear down lock mechanisms were damaged. No fire occurred.
Personnel and Aircraft Information
The captain, age 55, held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and a valid Class 2 aviation medical certificate. His total flight time was 845 hours 12 minutes, with 13 hours 43 minutes on the Mooney M20K type. The aircraft, a Mooney M20K (serial number 25-1135), was manufactured in 1987 and had a total flight time of 1,403 hours 47 minutes. The engine was a Continental TSIO-360-MB1 installed in July 2014. At the time of the accident, the aircraft's weight and center of gravity were within allowable limits.
Probable Cause
The Japan Transport Safety Board determined that the accident occurred when, during the go-around, the aircraft yawed left because the captain could not respond appropriately to the propeller characteristics of a single-engine airplane. The speed and lift needed for the go-around did not increase, causing the aircraft to fly at low speed and low altitude and collide with a revetment wall approximately two meters above ground from the fore left of the airframe. The board noted that the captain likely struggled with pitch and roll control and retracted the flaps at near-stall speed, leading to an excessive angle of attack. It is somewhat likely that the captain's lack of experience or practice in go-around maneuvers in the Mooney M20K contributed to the inappropriate rudder and flap operations.