Mooney M20J accident near Ridgeland, South Carolina, February 22, 2019
On February 22, 2019 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1978 Mooney M20J, registered N201AZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Ridgeland, South Carolina (Ridgeland-Claude Dean airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to retract the flaps during an attempted go-around and his failure to maintain the runway heading, which resulted in a collision with terrain left of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2019 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ridgeland, South Carolina · Ridgeland-Claude Dean · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J No Series, built 1978 · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201AZ · no longer on the register · serial 24-0423
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor in the retractable-landing gear airplane reported that, during final with student at the controls, there were no abnormal weather conditions, but as the airplane passed over the runway threshold, the airplane encountered "severe wind shear" that he believed to be a "microburst." The airplane then pitched up, rolled left, and the instructor and student added full power to go around. During the attempted go-around, the instructor took control of the airplane with the landing gear down, full flaps, and the propeller full forward. He added that the airplane "simply" did not have enough performance to climb. Subsequently, the airplane drifted left of the runway and impacted a gravel hill. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation system about 14 nautical miles from the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots, temperature 73°F, dew point 68°F, altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury, and few clouds at 500 ft. The airplane landed on runway 3. The pilot reported that the weather at the airport was wind light and variable, visibility 10 miles, and few clouds at 2,000 ft. The instructor reported the wind as calm to light and variable, visibility 10 miles, and few clouds at 5,000 ft. The instructor further reported that, during the go-around, the airplane's configuration with full flaps for landing was not changed. The airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook, "Go Around (balked landing)," stated that, following establishing a climb, the flaps should be reduced to the takeoff setting.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,174 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 15, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: powered-lift; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; instrument: powered-lift; rotorcraft: helicopter; rotorcraft: powered-lift
- Flight time: 1,521 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 466 as pilot in command; 124 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 3, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,354 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B60 (piston); 3,354 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQX Allendale SC at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 3J1 Ridgeland SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 2,692 ft by 70 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KNBC, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 17, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (CFI) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | POH | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.