Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lincoln, Nebraska 68524
Sunday, April 10, 2005 13:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane sustained substantial damage during recovery from a loss of control during instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) when the airplane encountered severe turbulence at 16,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and recovered at 6,000 feet msl before executing a precautionary landing. The commercial pilot reported that a thorough preflight weather briefing was obtained from the Flight Service Station (FSS). Due to severe weather reported in Kansas and Colorado, the pilot filed a route of flight that was further north through Nebraska. The pilot reported, "While in level cruise flight in IMC at 16,000' I suddenly encountered an unanticipated severe downdraft that caused a temporary loss of control of the aircraft. The plane was suddenly in a rapidly descending spiral. I was able to regain control and level off at 6,000' in VMC." The pilot executed a precautionary landing at the nearest suitable airport. While taxiing to the ramp, the right landing gear collapsed. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the right landing gear had collapsed, the wing spar was bent, and the wings were wrinkled. A representative from the airplane's manufacturer reported that the damage to the airplane indicated that the airplane experienced about 12g's of force during the recovery from the turbulence event. The airplane's storm scope was tested by a repair facility after the accident and it tested within normal specifications. There had been no pilot reports (PIREPS) along the pilot's route of flight at the time of the weather brief. A review of the air traffic control (ATC) tapes revealed that the ATC controller and the pilot did not have any communications about turbulence or severe weather prior to the upset occurring.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot inadvertently exceeded the design limits of the airplane during the recovery from the loss of control due to the unanticipated severe turbulence. Factors to the accident were the turbulence in clouds and the main landing gear collapse.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/10/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1330 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lincoln |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 68524 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405103N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0964533W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | -- |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19870 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 28 2006 1:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N21816 |
| NTSB Number | CHI05CA092 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | M20M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 27-0277 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3368 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Wings Northwest LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3525 SE Division |
| Aircraft Owner City | Portland |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97202 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | COU |
| Departure City | Columbia |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BFF |
| Destination City | Scottsbluff |
| Destination State | NE |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2005 5:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |