Summary
On September 14, 2019, a Mooney M20M (N1085W) was involved in an incident near Chandler, AZ. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's improper pitch control during takeoff and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's failure to take remedial action.
The pilot reported that, during a familiarization flight with a flight instructor in a recently purchased, retractable landing gear-equipped airplane, while demonstrating a soft field takeoff, the tower controller cleared him for takeoff "with no delay." He quickly taxied the airplane to the runway centerline, applied power, and pulled back on the yoke. He added that, in retrospect, the back pressure used was too abrupt. The airplane entered ground effect about 10 knots slower than normal and was unable to maintain flight in ground effect and he was struggling to maintain runway heading. The airplane touched down "abruptly several times." The airplane drifted to the left and he thought he had a positive rate of climb, so he retracted the landing gear.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA546. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1085W.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper pitch control during takeoff and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's failure to take remedial action.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during a familiarization flight with a flight instructor in a recently purchased, retractable landing gear-equipped airplane, while demonstrating a soft field takeoff, the tower controller cleared him for takeoff "with no delay." He quickly taxied the airplane to the runway centerline, applied power, and pulled back on the yoke. He added that, in retrospect, the back pressure used was too abrupt. The airplane entered ground effect about 10 knots slower than normal and was unable to maintain flight in ground effect and he was struggling to maintain runway heading. The airplane touched down "abruptly several times." The airplane drifted to the left and he thought he had a positive rate of climb, so he retracted the landing gear. Additionally, he was "too aggressive" with control inputs and "caused a stall." The left wing struck the taxiway and the airplane came to rest on the ramp. The pilot reported that the instructor did not take the flight controls.
The flight instructor did not provide a statement to the NTSB.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 090° at 13 knots. The pilot was departing on runway 04L.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA19CA546