MOONEY M20E — Salem, OR

What happened

The private pilot was attempting to land the airplane after conducting a local flight. A witness reported that he observed the airplane approach from the south for landing and that the approach looked normal. He added that the engine power sounded normal with the throttle being reduced as the airplane glided down to the runway. The airplane touched down, and shortly thereafter, the tail dipped down toward the runway, and the nose pitched up. The airplane then began a series of "ballooning oscillations," and each time the nose pitched up, the ballooning became more severe. During the third oscillation, the airplane descended nose first, impacted the runway, and then appeared to be launched about 6 to 8 ft into the air. The witness reported that the engine sound increased but that it sounded as if it were running at low rpm. The witness added that the pilot appeared to regain control of the airplane and that it remained airborne about 10 to 12 ft above runway. Another witness reported that it remained airborne for a distance of about 1,000 ft, entered a shallow climb at a low airspeed, and then reached an altitude of about 100 ft. Another witness reported that, shortly thereafter, he observed the airplane make a gradual left turn, which was followed by an increasing left bank, before it stalled and impacted terrain. A postcrash fire consumed the wreckage. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Based on the witnesses' statements, it is likely that the approach was shallow or that the pilot was not managing airspeed control, which resulted in the airplane porpoising down the runway. It is also likely that the pilot realized too late that the airplane was not in the proper attitude and applied excessive back-elevator pressure, which exacerbated the bounces; the third porpoise likely resulted in the propeller striking the runway; however, it is unknown whether the damage to the propeller would have affected the ability of the airplane to climb and maintain airspeed. When the pilot eventually applied power to execute the aborted landing, the airspeed was likely close to stall speed. His subsequent initiation of the turn at a low altitude resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent stall with insufficient altitude from which to recover.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.