# Incident 19970509013239I: Mooney M20E, Torrance, CA, May 9, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 9, 1997, 13:40 local time
- Place: Torrance, CA
- Airport: Torrance Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.8305° N, 118.3566° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Torrance, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8305&lon=-118.3566&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6971U, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6971U) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20E (registry code 5870212, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TIO-360 series (registry code 41572, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20E
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,410 total, 21 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970509013239I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: PILOT STATED THAT WHILE PERFORMING "TOUCH AND GO" LANDINGS HE HEARD A "CLICK" DURING ROLLOUT OF THE LAST LANDING PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE CYCLED THE GEAR, IT FELT STIFF, SO HE ASKED THE TOWER TO VERIFY THAT HE HAD THREE GEAR SHOWING. HE HAD THREE GREEN LIGHTS, BUT WANTED TO BE SURE HIS GEAR WAS DOWN. THE TOWER VERIFIED THE GEAR LOOKED IN THE DOWN POSITION. HE THEN LANDED LONG ON THE RIGHT RUNWAY. DURING ROLLOUT, BEFORE TURNING OFF THE RUNWAY, THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND INTO THE GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAYS. INSPECTION OF GEAR MECHANISM SHOWED LEFT RETRACTION TUBE (MOONEY P/N 5242) WAS BENT. THIS LIMITED MOVEMENT OF GEAR LINKAGE AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE GEAR TO LOCK DOWN. THE HANDLE WAS LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION AND INDICATED "GREEN".

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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