Incident Overview
On 15 September 2017, a Mooney M20J aircraft, registration G-OBAL, was involved in a landing incident at Elstree Aerodrome in Hertfordshire. The aircraft was manufactured in 1988 and powered by a single Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D piston engine. The flight was private, with one pilot and one passenger on board. Neither occupant sustained injuries.
Sequence of Events
The pilot, who held a Light Aircraft Pilot’s Licence and had 98 total flying hours (14 on type), was flying from Gloucester Airport to Elstree. According to the pilot's report, the circuit was normal, but he considered the aircraft too high on final approach. During the first landing attempt, adjustments prior to touchdown caused the aircraft to land too fast, resulting in two bounces. The pilot aborted the landing and initiated a go-around.
On the second approach, the aircraft bounced again, prompting another go-around. While climbing out, the air traffic controller informed the pilot that the propeller may have contacted the runway. The pilot then broke off a third approach but successfully landed the aircraft on the fourth attempt.
Damage
Post-flight examination revealed damage to the propeller and the right main landing gear door.
Additional Information
The pilot was 59 years old. His flying experience in the previous 90 days was 16 hours, and in the last 28 days, 5 hours. The incident was reported via an Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot.
(This article is based solely on the official AAIB bulletin and does not include any analysis or inference beyond the stated facts.)