NTSB Factual Report

On August 13, 2002, approximately 2200 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20L, N1024Z, registered to and being operated/flown by a commercial pilot sustained substantial damage during landing at the Sportsman Airpark, Newberg, Oregon. The pilot sustained minor injuries and his passenger was seriously injured. Visual dark night meteorological conditions existed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14 CFR 91, and originated from Hailey, Idaho, earlier on the evening of the accident.

The pilot reported in a telephone interview that upon arrival at the airport he over flew runway 17 and then set up for his approach to land. He reported that conditions were turbulent, especially on the base turn, and he terminated his first approach with a go around. He set up for a second approach, which he terminated due to the same conditions. On the third approach he felt that the conditions were slightly more stable. The aircraft touched down hard and bounced three times after which the pilot initiated a go around. The aircraft initially began to climb and then settled back down to the ground continuing off the upwind end of the runway (refer to attached NTSB Form 6120.1/2).

The Sportsman Airpark is equipped with a single asphalt runway 2,745 feet in length and 50 feet in width. The Airport Facility Directory showed runway 17 as having a displaced threshold of 380 feet due to tree(s) and runway 35 having a 315 foot displaced threshold for the same reason. The Directory also showed the runway as being equipped with low intensity runway lights.

The aviation surface weather observation taken at the Aurora State airport, located eight nautical miles east of the accident site reported the following conditions at 2155: winds calm, temperature 24 degrees Centigrade (75 degrees Fahrenheit).

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate flare and his delay in executing an aborted landing. A contributing factor was the dark night conditions.