Mooney M20K N231LS

Summary

On 11 April 2003 at about 00:40 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N231LS was involved in an accident near West Milford, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 2003 at 00:40

Classification

Accident

Location

West Milford, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Greenwood Lake (4N1)

Coordinates

41.1283, -74.3467

Aircraft

Mooney M20K

Registration

N231LS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newburgh → West Milford

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

NYC03LA083

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind and his failure to maintain directional control. Factors in the accident were the crosswind and landing at night.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot flew from his home airport to another airport to drop off a friend, who was to pick up another airplane. When they landed at the other airport there was a nose wheel shimmy. The pilot shut the engine down at the fixed base operator, and both he and the other pilot got out to check the nose wheel. He could find nothing wrong, and when the friend was ready, they both departed in their separate airplanes to return to their home airport. When they arrived, the other airplane landed first. The accident pilot flew his approach to the 4,000 foot long runway 6, with the flaps set to 20 degrees. After touch down, the nose of the airplane veered to the right; however, he did not recall any shimmy of the nose wheel. He pulled back on the yoke to ease the nose up, but he pulled back too hard and the airplane became airborne again. He thought he would touch down on the runway again, but instead, the airplane landed between the runway and taxiway, and struck rocks. The pilot said he did not experience any other mechanical problems during the landing. The pilot estimated the winds to be variable at 5 knots. Winds reported at the other airport, about 30 miles northeast were from 120 at 7 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.