Mooney M-18L accident near Bessemer, Alabama, May 6, 2007
On May 6, 2007 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Mooney M-18L, registered N119C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bessemer, Alabama (Bessemer Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent gear collapse during the landing roll. A factor in the accident was wind gusts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2007 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bessemer, Alabama · Bessemer Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-18L · all M-18Ls on the register
- Registration
- N119C · registry record · serial 51
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After taking off from runway 5, the pilot of a Mooney M18-L remained in the traffic pattern to practice landings. The pilot lined up on the final approach to the runway with 10 degrees of wing flaps extended, and utilized the visual approach slope indicator to adjust his glide path. After passing over the runway end identifier lights, he then turned to line up with the grass between the runway and taxiway, to practice a soft field landing. His intent was to touchdown just past a taxiway that ran perpendicular to his flight path. As the airplane approached the perpendicular taxiway, "the plane dropped suddenly" with no change of "engine power or tone." The airplane then touched down hard, crossed the edge of the perpendicular taxiway, and the landing gear collapsed, substantially damaging the airplane. Winds about the time of the accident were 045 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,515.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 780 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-145-C2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EKY Bessemer AL at 8:30 pm
- Destination: EKY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from EKY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC07CA113.