14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, January 27, 2013 in Warsaw, IN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/23/2013
Aircraft: MOONEY M20J, registration: N5763H
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot reported that, while approaching the airport for landing, he entered a left downwind leg for the traffic pattern and then “allowed” the wind to push the airplane too close to the runway, which he overshot on final approach. The airplane was not aligned with the runway when it “hit the ground hard and bounced.” The airplane began to porpoise and bounced several more times as it departed the left side of the runway. The pilot attempted a go-around; however, he never regained control of the airplane. The right wingtip impacted an airport fuel storage facility about 350 feet left of the runway, and the airplane came to rest upright about 50 feet from the initial impact. Significant fuel spilled, but no postimpact fire ensued. The impact resulted in the collapse of the landing gear and substantial damage to the engine mount, firewall, fuselage, and both wings. The pilot reported that he had become complacent after flying this airplane for 6 years, that he was unprepared for the violent bouncing from the hard landing, and that he should have had better training to prepare him for the stress, confusion, and surprise that resulted. The pilot also reported no mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain control of the airplane during a go-around maneuver. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s complacency flying the airplane and his lack of training on bounced landing recovery procedures.
The pilot reported that after he entered a left downwind he allowed a wind component from his right side to push him too close to his landing runway and he overshot his turn to final. The airplane was not aligned with the runway when it “hit the ground hard and bounced”. The airplane began to porpoise and bounced several more times as it departed the left side of the runway and the pilot attempted a go-around, but never regained control. The right wingtip impacted an airport fuel storage facility about 350 feet to the left of the runway and the airplane came to rest upright about 50 feet from the initial impact. There was a significant fuel spill, but no postimpact fire. The impact resulted in the collapse of the landing gear and substantial damage to the engine mount, firewall, fuselage, and both wings. The pilot reported that he was unprepared for the violent bouncing from the hard landing and that he should have had better training to prepare him for the stress, confusion and surprise that resulted. The pilot also reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure and that he had become complacent after flying this airplane for six years.
Photo provided by Warsaw Police Department
(January 27, 2013)
Photo Courtesy Warsaw Police Department
A small plane flying from Ohio to Michigan and home again crashed Sunday morning while stopping in Warsaw to refuel, officials said.
No one was injured.
According to a news release from the Warsaw Police Department, the pilot, 63-year-old Thomas Kowalczk, of Marblehead, Ohio, had stopped to pick up parts at Port Clinton, Mich., and again in Lapier, Mich., and needed to refuel.
The Mooney M20J/201 was stopping to refuel at Warsaw Municipal Airport and as Kowalczk descended toward the runway, a crosswind caught the airplane and tipped it to the side, causing the wind to touch the ground.
The plane bounced several times as it attempted to land, before crossing the runway and an adjoining taxiway and crashing into the airport's fuel tank barriers and a fence, the release said.
The plane came to rest between an above-ground gasoline tank and the controls of underground fuel tanks.
There was no fire and no fuel was spilled during the accident, but there was significant damage to the plane and the airport's fence, the release said. There was also minimal damage to the fuel tank barrier.
The pilot's son, 42-year-old Brian Kowalczk, of Allendale, Mich., was also in the plane at the time of the crash.
The incident remains under investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Federal Aviation Administration.
http://www.avclaims.com/N5763H.html
http://www.journalgazette.net
http://www.staceypageonline.com
