20030719019709I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20A · Elko, NV · July 19, 2003

Date: July 19, 2003 · 19:19 local
Place: Elko, NV
Airport: Elko Regional Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8102E
Reported as: Mooney M20A
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,050 total100 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N8102ERegistration cancelled May 13, 2013 · Mooney M20AS/N 1373 · Built 1959 Airframe modelMooney M20A Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

(-23) During take off from eko, the pilot established a positive rate of climb. The landing gear was manually raised with the johnson bar and before the bar was stowed in the up position the pilot lost his grip on the bar and dropped it. The pilot then looked down to find the bar and when he looked up again the aircraft was in a nose down attitude headed for the runway. Before the pilot could completely recover attitude, the aircraft contacted the runway, gear up, and bounced. At that moment the pilot was able to lower the gear and abort the take off. The aircraft returned to the runway with gear down and locked. Damage was sustained to the propeller and the bottom mounted anti-collision light assy. Damage was assessed as minor. No injuries to the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING TAKE OFF FROM EKO, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB. THE LANDING GEAR WAS MANUALLY RAISED WITH THE JOHNSON BAR AND BEFORE THE BAR WAS STOWED IN THE UP POSITION THE PILOT LOST HIS GRIP ON THE BAR AND DROPPED IT. THE PILOT THEN LOOKED DOWN TO FIND THE BAR AND WHEN HE LOOKED UP AGAIN THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE HEADED FOR THE RUNWAY. BEFORE THE PILOT COULD COMPLETELY RECOVER ATTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, GEAR UP, AND BOUNCED. AT THAT MOMENT THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LOWER THE GEAR AND ABORT THE TAKE OFF. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY WITH GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE PROPELLER AND THE BOTTOM MOUNTED ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT ASSY. DAMAGE WAS ASSESSED AS MINOR. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT.