Mooney M20R N4157

Summary

On 4 August 2004 at about 20:30 local time, a Mooney M20R registered N4157 was involved in an accident near Aspen, Colorado, 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

4 August 2004 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Aspen, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Pitken County/Sardy Field (ASE)

Coordinates

39.2231, -106.8689

Aircraft

Mooney M20R

Registration

N4157

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Angelo → Aspen

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN04LA116

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Contributing factors was the pilot flaring the airplane too high, his misunderstanding of the instructor's attempt to take control of the airplane. and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor was giving a sales demonstration flight to the pilot, a potential customer. The instructor said the pilot "was fully aware that I was an instructor and that he would relinquish control of the aircraft at any time that I stated that it was my aircraft." The flight to their destination was uneventful. As they made their approach, they were advised that the wind was from 330 degrees at 10 knots, gusts to 15 knots, and low-level wind shear. They extended their downwind leg and made a 360-degree turn to lose altitude. When they turned onto the final approach to runway 15, the PAPI (precision approach path indicator) lights indicated a "normal Mooney approach": descent rate was 400 feet per minute, and indicated airspeed was 90 knots. Due to the tail wind, they crossed the runway threshold "a little high" and fast. About 12 feet above the runway, the pilot raised the aircraft nose to flare for landing. Airspeed dropped rapidly and the instructor told the pilot to relinquish aircraft control and tried to push the control yoke forward. The pilot interpreted the instructor's control inputs as an attempt in helping him to land. The pilot continued to raise the nose and the stall warning horn sounded. As the pilot held the nose high attitude, the instructor applied full power "to keep the nose from falling over from the impending stall." The tail struck the runway and the airplane bounced, then the propeller struck the runway, stopping the engine. The airplane coasted off the runway onto a taxiway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.