N6476Q

On May 24, 1998, approximately 1145 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20F, N6476Q, was substantially damaged when the right wing struck the runway during landing at Moriarty, New Mexico. The private pilot and a commercial pilot-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Albuquerque, New Mexico, approximately 1050.

According to the pilot, the flight from Albuquerque's Double Eagle Airport was uneventful. Moriarty UNICOM advised him that the wind was from 270 degrees at 10 knots. Runway 26 (7,700 ft. x 75 ft., asphalt) was the active runway. Two "notches" of flaps and an approach speed between 80 and 85 mph were used. Just prior to touchdown, approximately 10 feet above the ground, he "noticed the right wing quickly and suddenly rotate down approximately 45 degrees. Then I felt right gear wheel strike the ground. The aircraft then bounced to the left gear then settled to the runway without striking the nose gear or the tail. . .The aircraft did not yaw prior to the right wing striking the ground. (I told) my brother that I thought the right wing had struck the ground and he confirmed it visually." The pilot said he spoke to the pilot of a sailplane that landed shortly thereafter and on the same runway. The sailplane pilot told him he had "experienced an immediate and sudden updraft at the threshold of runway 26 that increased his altitude 15 feet."

A statement submitted by the commercial pilot-rated passenger, the brother of the pilot, corroborated that pilot's statement. A statement submitted by the sailplane pilot indicated he encountered "a large thermal gust."

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing front spar was bent and the rear spar was cracked. The right wing tip was scraped, and there was skin damage to the right wing at the aileron. Both wheel skirts were bent and scraped.