The airplane bounced twice during landing. The pilot then added full throttle for a go-around and the airplane began to drift to the left side of the runway centerline. As the airplane began to climb, the pilot retracted gear and flaps. The airplane’s nose then pitched up and the right wingtip struck the runway surface. The airplane veered sharply to the right and impacted terrain on the right side of the runway. The impact resulted in the collapse of the landing gear and substantial damage to the engine mount, firewall, fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported there was no mechanical malfunction or failure and that he just failed to maintain control of the airplane.
December 2, 2012, Durango, Colo. – Mooney M20TN Acclaim
The airplane bounced twice during landing. The pilot then added full throttle for a go-around and the airplane began to drift to the left side of the runway centerline. As the airplane began to climb, the pilot retracted gear and flaps. The airplane’s nose then pitched up and the right wingtip struck the runway surface. The airplane veered sharply to the right and impacted terrain on the right side of the runway. The impact resulted in the collapse of the landing gear and substantial damage to the engine mount, firewall, fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported there was no mechanical malfunction or failure and that he just failed to maintain control of the airplane.
Key Takeaways:
- After two bounces during landing, the pilot initiated a go-around but prematurely retracted the gear and flaps while climbing.
- This action caused the airplane's nose to pitch up and the right wingtip to strike the runway, leading to a loss of control.
- The aircraft then veered sharply, impacted terrain, and sustained substantial damage, with the pilot reporting no mechanical malfunction but a failure to maintain control.
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