# Incident 19961023036459I: Mooney M20E, Kansas City, MO, October 23, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 23, 1996, 09:53 local time
- Place: Kansas City, MO
- Airport: Richards-Gebaur Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0997° N, 94.5786° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Kansas City, MO, within about 10 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0997&lon=-94.5786&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5578Q, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5578Q) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20E (registry code 5870212, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20E
- Reported engine: CONT IO360A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 940 total, 5 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961023036459I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: ON THE DAY OF THIS INCIDENT, 10/23/96, THE FBO TOWED THE AIRPLANE FROM THE HANGAR. THE PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED TO THE RUNUP AREA. AFTER COMPLETING THE ENGINE RUNUP, AN ATC CLEARANCE WAS RECEIVED FOR TAKE OFF. AS THE AIRPLANE TAXIED TOWARD THE RUNWAY THE MECHANICAL GEAR LEVER "POPPED OUT" OF THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION AND THE AIRPLANE SETTLED TO THE GROUND AS ALL THREE WHEELS RETRACTED. THE PILOT/OWNER SAID THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY PROBLEM WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND HE HAS OWNED THIS AIRPLANE SINCE 1983. THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT WAS COMPLETED ON 10/06/96 WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED IN OCTOBER 1995 BY SPENCER AIRCRAFT, BUTLER, MISSOURI. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. BOTH OF THE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS STRUCK THE TAXIWAY AND THE ENGINE SUSTAINED SUDDEN STOPPAGE DAMAGE. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE NOSE WHEEL DOORS. PITOT TUBE AND ONE ANTENNA WAS BROKEN OFF. A LANDING GEAR RETRACTION TEST WAS CONDUCTED. RIGHT MAIN GEAR SUSTAINED BELL CRANK DAMAGE WHEN THE GEAR FOLDED AND WAS LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION DURING THE INSPECTION. THE LEFT GEAR AND NOSE GEAR FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS CHECKED FOR PROPER OPERATION AND NO MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED; HOWEVER, IT DID TAKE ABOUT 5 LBS. OF UP PRESSURE TO GET THE HANDLE INTO THE UP AND LOCKED POSITION. THIS INCIDENT (CE97IGA0007) IS CLOSED.

## Other reports on N5578Q (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19820924055379I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820924055379I), Sep 24, 1982: Mooney M20E (N5578Q), Almyra, AR. Rough engine, oil on windshield. Made safe landing in a field. Internal engine failure near #1 cylinder.

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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