Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control during landing.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported the farm strip was aligned on a heading of approximately 090/270 and was 2,400 feet long. He was approaching from the west. As he cleared the obstacles he noticed he was descending faster than normal. He pulled the throttles to idle to land and was almost on the ground when he felt something like a wind shear. The pilot added power but as he got closer to the ground, the wind pushed the airplane toward the north side of the runway to the edge of the landing strip. As the airplane veered off the strip the wingtip collided with brush and the nose wheel broke. The pilot believed the airplane's wheels were on the ground at the time of the wind shear indicated by skid marks going sideways off the landing strip surface. The pilot obtained weather from WK Kellogg Airport (BTL) in Battle Creek, Michigan while enroute at approximately 1455. Prevailing winds were reported as 230 degrees at 10 knots. BTL reported prevailing winds from 220 degrees at 5 knots at 1753.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14CA237 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- May 11, 2014
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Dowling, Michigan
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Mooney M20F
- N-number
- N343ED
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1967
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.