| Crash location | 41.907778°N, 88.248611°W |
| Nearest city | West Chicago, IL
41.884751°N, 88.203961°W 2.8 miles away |
| Tail number | N21737 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 01 Jun 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Mooney M20S |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 1, 2003, at 2130 central daylight time, a Mooney M20S, N21737, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it veered off the side of the runway and collided with airport signs and markings after a hard landing on runway 10 (4,751 feet by 75 feet, asphalt), at Dupage Airport (DPA), West Chicago, Illinois. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The business flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight originated from Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), Eagle, Colorado, at 1500 mountain daylight time.
The pilot stated, "The flare was too high, the aircraft dropped to the runway and bounced." The pilot noted the aircraft bounced twice, and on the second bounce he attempted a go-around. The pilot reported applying full throttle and raising "what was thought to be one notch of flaps." The pilot reported the aircraft swerved left and then was "overcorrected right" and subsequently swerved off the right side of the runway, striking fixed objects with the wing. The pilot reported he reduced the throttle to idle when the aircraft ran onto a taxiway. The pilot indicated the nose gear collapsed when the aircraft transitioned from the grass onto the taxiway.
The on-sight investigation revealed that the aircraft exited the left edge of runway 10 at taxiway E-6. The aircraft's right wingtip was found at the intersection of taxiway E-6 and runway 10. A runway light was found damaged near the path of the left landing gear. The wreckage pattern and markings, including eight propeller strikes, continued to the east of runway 20 right. The left main landing gear was found separated from the rest of the aircraft. The taxiway sign for taxiway C was damaged and found next to the wreckage path. The aircraft came to a stop at the intersection of taxiways C and G.
Inspection of the airplane revealed that the flap handle was in the "up" position, and the flaps were in the fully retracted position. The tail of the aircraft showed scraping along its underside, and the tailskid was damaged. The blades were broken from the propeller hub, exhibited blade twist, and were bent aft. The left main landing gear was broken off, and the nose gear was collapsed. The leading edge of the right wing was dented about two-thirds of the way up the span from the fuselage in a pattern consistent with striking an airport sign.
The weather reporting facility located at DPA, reported the winds at 2153 as 120 degrees at 4 knots.
The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft or powerplant.
The pilot's improper flare, and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper flare and his inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.