# Incident 19940720030639I: Mooney M20C, Chesapeake, VA, July 20, 1994

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 20, 1994, 19:00 local time
- Place: Chesapeake, VA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.8190° N, 76.2749° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Chesapeake, VA, within about 10 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.8190&lon=-76.2749&mi=10
- Aircraft: N78913, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78913) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20C (registry code 5870208, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940720030639I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON JULY 20, 1994, AT 1900L A MOONEY M-20, N78913, PILOTED BY JOHN J. FLORA, III SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER LANDING. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT SAID HIS INSTRUMENT RATING WAS NOT CURRENT AND HE WAS RECEIVING INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT SAID THAT ON FINAL APPROACH HE CHECKED THAT THE GEAR LEVER WAS IN THE PROPER POSITION AND SHOOK THE LEVER TO ASCERTAIN THAT THE GEAR WAS LOCKED. HE SAID HE TOUCHED THE GREEN GEAR LIGHT AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS GREEN. HE SAID THAT ON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED A FEW FEET AND ON THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN THE GEAR HANDLE POPPED FREE AND THE GEAR PARTIALLY RETRACTED. HE INITIALLY APPLIED POWER THEN NOTICED THE PROP HAD STRUCK THE GROUND. HE THEN PULLED POWER AND TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON TO THE RUNWAY AND SKIDDED TO A STOP. THIS AIRCRAFT HAS A MANUALLY OPERATED GEAR SYSTEM. UPON RAISING THE AIRCRAFT, GROUND PERSONNEL OBSERVED THE GEAR FALL INTO PLACE AND WERE ABLE TO LOCK THE GEAR LEVER AND TOW THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY. I OBSERVED THAT THE GEAR LEVER COULD BE IN PLACE TO ACTIVATE THE GREEN GEAR LIGHT BUT NOT BE FULLY LOCKED. IN THIS CONFIGURATION IT TOOK JUST A SMALL FORCE ON THE LEVER TO CAUSE IT TO POP FREE. I OBSERVED THAT THE MAIN GEAR DOORS HAD NO DAMAGE. THE NOSE GEAR DOORS HAD DAMAGE ONLY TO THE BOTTOM SURFACES; NO DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD AND BOTTOM (WHEN OPEN) EDGES. THE MAIN TIRES HAD NO DIE SCUFF MARKS. A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT IS PENDING. INCIDENT CLOSED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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