NTSB Factual Report

On May 10, 2002, at 1315 central daylight time, a Mooney M20F, N976SB, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it contacted the ground and another aircraft during an aborted go-around. The aircraft went off to the left side of the runway 24R (2,499 feet by 75 feet, dry/asphalt) striking and separating the tail of a parked aircraft at the Minneapolis Crystal Airport (MIC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. There were no injuries reported by the pilot or passengers. The flight had departed Evansville (EVV), Indiana at 1130 central daylight time.

According to the pilot's written statement, the aircraft was on final approach when the control tower called stating "976SB your gear is not down, go around." The pilot reported that he initiated a go-around procedure by applyed full power and "dumped" the flaps. He stated, "I got no response to full power and my airspeed got close to stall speed and I was still descending. I then thought the safest thing to do to prevent a stall spin was to let the plane touch down on its belly. I believe we landed on the grass and slid onto some pavement ... I had no control on the ground and my left wing impacted the tail portion of an aircraft parked to the side ... and tore the tail portion off." According to the pilot, the aircraft came to a rest approximately 100 feet from the airport perimeter fence.

A witness, who is a pilot, reported that he first saw the airplane when it was on final approach. He reported the landing gear was in the fully retracted position. He stated that when the airplane was about 20 feet above the runway "The engine noise increased and the nose was in a 10-degrees up attitude. The aircraft was climbing and continued to climb with a 3 or 5 degree bank to the left." He reported that by time the airplane reached the end of the runway, it had gained altitude and was about 80 feet above the runway in the same nose-up attitude with the wings mostly level. He stated the airplane remained in the same attitude, but it started to descend and went out of his sight behind the control tower. Approximately 3 seconds later he heard the sound of the impact. This witness reported that the engine sounds remained the same between the time the airplane was over the runway until it disappeared behind the tower.

The parked airplane was a Piper PA-28R-201, N853DC.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot did not attain a proper climb rate during the go-around and the intentional wheels up landing. Factors associated with the accident were the inability of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing and the parked airplane that was contacted.