The Transportation Safety Board says a failed attempt at a go-around led to the crash of a Mooney M20J that killed two well-known members of the Ninety-Nines last September 16. The aircraft’s owner Susan Begg, 73, of Ottawa, and her frequent flying partner Dewi Livingston, of Niagara-on-the-Lake died when the Mooney went down off the end of the runway at Sundridge South River Airpark during the Ninety-Nines’ Gold Cup Air Rally. The TSB report said witnesses described what appeared to be an unstable approach, a bounced landing and the go-around attempt.
“During the latter stages of the approach, when the aircraft’s nose-down pitch attitude reportedly increased, the aircraft’s rate of descent and airspeed likely increased as well, and the approach likely became unstable,” the report said.”However, the recorded data available to the investigation were insufficient to accurately determine the aircraft’s speed and rate of descent during the occurrence sequence. During the flare, the aircraft ballooned and bounced three times before a go-around was initiated.” The TSB couldn’t determine whether the aircraft stalled and crashed into trees or whether hitting a tree caused it to crash.