Mooney M20E accident near Salem, OR
On July 4, 2015, a Mooney M20E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Salem, OR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 4, 2015
- Place
- Salem, OR
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.919°N, 123.007°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150704X24851
Official records · WPR15FA208
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 4, 2015, about 0810 Pacific daylight time, Mooney M20E, N5608Q, collided with terrain after an aborted landing and attempted go-around at McNary Field (SLE), Salem, Oregon. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant and part owner of the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged from impact forces and a postcrash fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was being operated in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and a flight plan was not filed. The pilot reportedly departed SLE on the local flight about an hour prior to the accident. The tower controller reported that just past 0800, the pilot called inbound for landing from the south and was given a clearance to land on runway 34. The controller stated that the approach appeared normal, and that the landing gear appeared to be "down and in place". The airplane came down over the aiming point 10 to 20 feet above the runway, but the airplane continued to "float" 10 feet above the runway for the next 1,000 feet. The controller added that at mid-field the airplane began a shallow climb at a low airspeed, and was observed to have ascended to about 100 feet above ground level (AGL) by the time it reached the departure end of runway 34. The airplane then began a left turn, followed by a loss of control and impact with terrain. An additional witness, who was located at the southeast corner of the airport, reported that he observed an airplane approach from the south for landing, and that the approach looked and sounded normal, w
Probable cause
The pilot's unstabilized approach and delayed remedial action, which resulted in a porpoise during landing. Also causal to the accident was the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack during the subsequent aborted landing, which resulted in a low altitude stall/spin.
More accidents in OR
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Browse: Oregon · Mooney aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
