20020114000239I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20J · Santa Ana, CA · January 14, 2002

Date: January 14, 2002 · 08:33 local
Place: Santa Ana, CA
Airport: John Wayne Airport-Orange Cou
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5631X
Reported as: Mooney M20J
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

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.

(-23) On approach to vny, pilot noted that landing gear did not sound like it locked down, gear unsafe light remained on, gear down lock light not on. Conducted fly-by, vny ATCT reported gear appeared to be down. Pilot elected to return to sna due to it being his home airport. Emergency extend and maneuvers were attempted without success. Pilot burned off excess fuel and reported to sna ATCT that gear appears unsafe due to light being on. Conducted landing attempt, found left gear began to collapse, executed go around. Pilot again burned excess fuel and prepared for gear collapse landing. Aircraft landed, left gear collapsed with minimal damage to aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APPROACH TO VNY, PILOT NOTED THAT LANDING GEAR DID NOT SOUND LIKE IT LOCKED DOWN, GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT REMAINED ON, GEAR DOWN LOCK LIGHT NOT ON. CONDUCTED FLY-BY, VNY ATCT REPORTED GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO SNA DUE TO IT BEING HIS HOME AIRPORT. EMERGENCY EXTEND AND MANEUVERS WERE ATTEMPTED WITHOUT SUCCESS. PILOT BURNED OFF EXCESS FUEL AND REPORTED TO SNA ATCT THAT GEAR APPEARS UNSAFE DUE TO LIGHT BEING ON. CONDUCTED LANDING ATTEMPT, FOUND LEFT GEAR BEGAN TO COLLAPSE, EXECUTED GO AROUND. PILOT AGAIN BURNED EXCESS FUEL AND PREPARED FOR GEAR COLLAPSE LANDING. AIRCRAFT LANDED, LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT.