19980211001159I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20F · Glendale, AZ · February 11, 1998

Date: February 11, 1998 · 09:20 local
Place: Glendale, AZ
Airport: Glendale Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9618M
Reported as: Mooney M20F
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 660 total70 in this make and model

N9618MRegistered now · Mooney M20FS/N 670195 · Built 1966 Airframe modelMooney M20F Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: aircraft was on final approach when control tower cleared the pilot for short final on runway 1. Pilot stated there was traffic in the area and an aircraft taking off on runway 1. Pilot stated he selected the gear handle for gear down and continued his approach and landing. On touchdown the aircraft rolled briefly, then the gear retracted. Aircraft came to a stop causing prop strike and sheet metal damage to fuselage. Pilot reported he was uncomfortable, and hasn't gotten used to flying into the Glendale airport. The gear handle was not secured in the down and locked position after the aircraft came to a stop. Pilot stated he believes he pushed the gear handle into the gear down position, but did not check to see if it was locked.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH WHEN CONTROL TOWER CLEARED THE PILOT FOR SHORT FINAL ON RUNWAY 1. PILOT STATED THERE WAS TRAFFIC IN THE AREA AND AN AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF ON RUNWAY 1. PILOT STATED HE SELECTED THE GEAR HANDLE FOR GEAR DOWN AND CONTINUED HIS APPROACH AND LANDING. ON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED BRIEFLY, THEN THE GEAR RETRACTED. AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP CAUSING PROP STRIKE AND SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE. PILOT REPORTED HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE, AND HASN'T GOTTEN USED TO FLYING INTO THE GLENDALE AIRPORT. THE GEAR HANDLE WAS NOT SECURED IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. PILOT STATED HE BELIEVES HE PUSHED THE GEAR HANDLE INTO THE GEAR DOWN POSITION, BUT DID NOT CHECK TO SEE IF IT WAS LOCKED.