What happened
On Monday, November 24, 1997, at 15:05, a Mooney M 20K, registration F-GCJB, was performing a private flight when it experienced a hard landing at AD Cholet. During the landing flare, the aircraft encountered a sudden wind gust that caused it to lift momentarily. In response, the pilot performed a correction that resulted in the aircraft striking the runway with significant force. The impact sequence began with the right main landing gear, followed by the left main gear, and finally the nose gear.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing roll and the meteorological conditions at the time of the event. Investigators established that the weather conditions were characterized by winds from 150 degrees at 12 to 15 knots, with visibility exceeding 10 kilometers. The investigation reviewed the pilot's actions during the flare phase to determine how the wind gust influenced the aircraft's attitude and the subsequent impact with the paved runway.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was an inappropriate correction of a wind gust during the flare.
- The aircraft sustained light damage as a result of the impact.
- The landing sequence involved a heavy strike on the main gear before the nose gear made contact.