Mooney M-20J N201MP

Summary

On 9 December 2000 at about 16:00 local time, a Mooney M-20J registered N201MP was involved in an accident near Trenton, New Jersey, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 December 2000 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Trenton, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Trenton Mercer (TTN)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Mooney M-20J

Registration

N201MP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Trenton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC01LA057

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor's improper decision to allow his student to land in close proximity to a hovering helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

With a fight instructor, the pilot executed a normal takeoff from Runway 34 for right closed traffic. Because a UH-60 helicopter was executing an approach from the southwest to the threshold of Runway 34, the pilot extend the touchdown point by 1,000 feet. The helicopter transitioned to hovering flight near the threshold, about 30 seconds before the accident airplane. After a short delay, the UH-60 air-taxied to the ramp. When the accident airplane was about 20 feet above the ground, it suddenly rolled right, (faster than a full application of aileron could counteract,) and the right wing contacted the ground. Witness statements place the UH-60, 100 to 600 feet away from the accident airplane at the time of the accident. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, every aircraft generates vortices, that can cause an uncommanded roll that exceeds the roll-control authority of the encountering airplane. Landing helicopters produce a pair of strong, high-speed trailing vortices similar to larger fixed wing aircraft. Pilots of small aircraft should use caution when operating behind landing helicopters.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.