What happened
On 14 October 2004, a Mooney M2/J, registration G-DESS, was conducting a private flight from Old Sarum Aerodrome to Wadswick Airstrip. The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, intended to survey the new airstrip facilities. The flight proceeded normally until the final approach to Runway 27 at Wadswick.
While established on final approach with the landing gear down and full flaps selected, the pilot perceived the aircraft to be significantly lower than intended. In response, the pilot immediately applied full power to initiate a go-around. During this maneuver, the aircraft experienced a stall accompanied by a left wing drop. The pilot was unable to recover from the resulting incipient spin before the aircraft struck the ground. The impact, described as a 'cartwheel' motion, resulted in two serious injuries and the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and recovered a GPS unit, which provided a track log of the flight. Secondary radar data was also analyzed to compare groundspeeds. The investigation found that the aircraft's landing gear was down and the flaps were fully extended at the time of impact. The nose landing gear was also down and locked.
Analysis of the aircraft's trim revealed that the pitch trim was positioned slightly more nose-up than the standard takeoff range. This specific setting could have necessitated a continuous push force to maintain the flight path during the approach. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the aircraft's airspeed had been gradually decreasing from approximately 80 kt to 60 kt in the period leading up to the accident, which was below the target approach speed of 71 kt.
Findings
- The pilot initiated a go-around at a low altitude and an insufficient airspeed.
- The rapid application of full power during the go-around maneuver triggered a stall and loss of control.
- The aircraft was flying with a reduced margin to the stall speed due to a declining airspeed on approach.
- The existing pitch trim setting may have contributed to the difficulty in maintaining the required flight path and could have caused an unplanned nose-up pitch during the power application.