Aviation Crash Map

Mooney M-18L N119C

6 May 2007 · Bessemer, Alabama, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 6 May 2007 at about 21:00 local time, a Mooney M-18L registered N119C was involved in an accident near Bessemer, Alabama, 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.

The record

Date
at 21:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Bessemer, Alabama, United States
Nearest airport
Bessemer Airport (EKY)
Coordinates
33.3125, -86.9264
Aircraft
Mooney M-18L
Registration
N119C
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Bessemer → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
NYC07CA113

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent gear collapse during the landing roll. A factor in the accident was wind gusts.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After taking off from runway 5, the pilot of a Mooney M18-L remained in the traffic pattern to practice landings. The pilot lined up on the final approach to the runway with 10 degrees of wing flaps extended, and utilized the visual approach slope indicator to adjust his glide path. After passing over the runway end identifier lights, he then turned to line up with the grass between the runway and taxiway, to practice a soft field landing. His intent was to touchdown just past a taxiway that ran perpendicular to his flight path. As the airplane approached the perpendicular taxiway, "the plane dropped suddenly" with no change of "engine power or tone." The airplane then touched down hard, crossed the edge of the perpendicular taxiway, and the landing gear collapsed, substantially damaging the airplane. Winds about the time of the accident were 045 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Mooney M-18L accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
29 Sep 2006 Mooney M-18L
N397A
Lexington, Kentucky, United States - No injuries -
7 Jun 1987 Mooney M-18L
N115C
Maricopa, California, United States Richard T. Marrott Serious injuries -
17 Oct 1981 Mooney M-18L
N396A
St.augustine, Florida, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
19 May 1974 Mooney M-18L
N378A
Erwin, North Carolina, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
26 Mar 1973 Mooney M-18L
N361A
San Frnando, California, United States
no coordinates
- Serious injuries -
31 Aug 1968 Mooney M-18L
N370A
Blythe, California, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -

All 12 records for this type

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All 170,864 records in United States