Mooney M20J accident near Whitesburg, Georgia, September 9, 2017
On September 9, 2017 at about 8:35 pm local time, a 1983 Mooney M20J, registered N1161Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Whitesburg, Georgia (Lyons Landing airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s unstabilized approach while landing with a tailwind and his subsequent failure to go around, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2017 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Whitesburg, Georgia · Lyons Landing · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J, built 1983 · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N1161Z · registry record · serial 24-1356
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the approach to land on a down-sloped, grass runway, the airplane was "a little high." He added that he attempted to land short of a rise in the runway, which resulted in a hard landing followed by a bounce. After the airplane settled back on the runway, "[he] believed we [the airplane] could still stop in time." He applied the brakes, but the airplane failed to slow, and he attempted to skid the airplane sideways "with little effect." As the airplane went over another rise in the runway, it floated off the ground. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest in the trees beyond the end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the weather at the accident site, about the time of the accident, was wind from 105°, gusting to 10 to 15 knots. The pilot landed on runway 27. An automated weather observation system about 13 nautical miles from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 070° at 8 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Landing area overshoot during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,240 hours in all; 490 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command; 4,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 15, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,454.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 4,455 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CTJ Carrollton GA at 9:10 pm
- Destination: 5GA2 Whitesburg GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KCTJ, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA17CA535.