Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Mooney M20J, registration N909RM, manufactured in 1979. It was powered by one Lycoming IO-360-AIB6D piston engine. The flight was a private operation with one pilot and three passengers on board. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence, was 41 years old, and had a total flying experience of 140 hours, of which 20 hours were on the Mooney M20J type. In the last 90 days, the pilot had flown 26 hours, and in the last 28 days, 9 hours.
Accident Sequence
On 26 August 1999 at 1610 hours UTC, the aircraft was landing on Runway 27 at Eddsfield. The runway was a dry grass surface. The surface wind was from 240° at 10 knots, resulting in a crosswind component of 5 knots. During the touchdown, there was some drift to the right, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft subsequently veered to the right and then turned to the left, coming to rest off the left side of the runway.
Damage and Injuries
The starboard undercarriage collapsed, and the wing tips and underside of the tail were damaged. The pilot and passengers were able to exit the aircraft normally through the door. No injuries were sustained by anyone on board.
Investigation
The information source for this report was the Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot.