Mooney M20M N21816

Summary

On 10 April 2005 at about 18:30 local time, a Mooney M20M registered N21816 was involved in an accident near Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. One person was 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

10 April 2005 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

40.8508, -96.7592

Aircraft

Mooney M20M

Registration

N21816

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbia → Scottsbluff

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05CA092

Nobody was injured.

The pilot inadvertently exceeded the design limits of the airplane during the recovery from the loss of control due to the unanticipated severe turbulence. Factors to the accident were the turbulence in clouds and the main landing gear collapse.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage during recovery from a loss of control during instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) when the airplane encountered severe turbulence at 16,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and recovered at 6,000 feet msl before executing a precautionary landing. The commercial pilot reported that a thorough preflight weather briefing was obtained from the Flight Service Station (FSS). Due to severe weather reported in Kansas and Colorado, the pilot filed a route of flight that was further north through Nebraska. The pilot reported, "While in level cruise flight in IMC at 16,000' I suddenly encountered an unanticipated severe downdraft that caused a temporary loss of control of the aircraft. The plane was suddenly in a rapidly descending spiral. I was able to regain control and level off at 6,000' in VMC." The pilot executed a precautionary landing at the nearest suitable airport. While taxiing to the ramp, the right landing gear collapsed. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the right landing gear had collapsed, the wing spar was bent, and the wings were wrinkled. A representative from the airplane's manufacturer reported that the damage to the airplane indicated that the airplane experienced about 12g's of force during the recovery from the turbulence event. The airplane's storm scope was tested by a repair facility after the accident and it tested within normal specifications. There had been no pilot reports (PIREPS) along the pilot's route of flight at the time of the weather brief. A review of the air traffic control (ATC) tapes revealed that the ATC controller and the pilot did not have any communications about turbulence or severe weather prior to the upset occurring.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.