Pilot Debrief

DAVID FISHER MURPHY MOOSE near Ocean Shores, WA — 2024-06-08

Final reportWPR24LA188
Sign in to save
Date
2024-06-08
Location
Ocean Shores, WA, USA
Airport
W04
Aircraft
DAVID FISHER MURPHY MOOSE
Registration
N9695W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s hard, bounced landing, subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed, and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting to land during gusty wind conditions when the accident occurred. A pilot-rated witness at the airport reported that he observed the accident airplane’s approach to the runway and thought it was too steep for the wind conditions. The airplane landed hard and bounced back into the air about 4 ft; a gust of wind caught the left wing, pushing the airplane downwind to the right toward marshland. The witness stated that the engine powered up, but the airplane stalled and was in a nose-low attitude when it impacted the ground. Witnesses located around the airport stated that the airplane touched down on the runway and bounced back into the air; the left wing was caught by a gust of wind and the airplane rotated to the right. Examination of the recovered airframe and engine revealed no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Recorded ADS-B and on-board recorded flight track data showed the airplane’s departure and flight towards the accident airport. Flight track data from both sources showed the airplane enter the traffic pattern and land on runway 33. The on-board data showed that in the last few minutes the airplane’s ground speed decayed to about 48 kts, with the last recorded data showing the airplane in a pitch-down attitude and a right roll near the last recorded ADS-B target. The witness statements and recorded data are consistent with a hard, bounced landing, followed by an aerodynamic stall during the attempted go-around.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

Related mishaps