Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K N262RW accident near Hutchinson, Minnesota

Probable cause

The student pilot’s inadequate flare and failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with obstructions.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that the airplane bounced multiple times during landing before the airplane veered to the left. His efforts to correct the veer were unsuccessful, and he lost directional control; the airplane then exited the left side of the runway. The airplane impacted a ditch, crossed a taxiway, impacted a second ditch, and came to rest upright. The airplane’s nose gear collapsed and the forward fuselage was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA461 for the full record.