What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 15, 2005, Mooney M20J, N124JB, was being operated by the owner, the pilot privacy data omitted who was receiving instruction from privacy data omitted pursuant to a wings weekend being held at hopkinsville, kentucy. The aircraft had departed the hopkinsville airport and was flown with the intention to land at Outlaw Field, Clarksville, Tennessee. On touchdown the aircraft made contact with the runway without support form the landing gear. The propeller then struck the runway causing the engine to quit running. The aircraft slid down the runway on its belly causing minor skin and antenna damage. Statements from both the pilot and the instructor indicate that they were making their approach to Clarksville and put the gear handle in the down position. Both indicated the gear was extended and a verbal "gear down" was spoken "after looking in the direction of the gear switch and lights." The pilot's statement indicates that he could not see the green down light because of the seats interference. Additionally, it was stated, as the throttle was retarded, there was no gear warning horn that would indicate that the gear was not down and locked. On landing, the plane settled on the runway and slid to a stop on its belly. The person who recovered the aircraft, privacy data omitted of Outlaw aviation said when he tried to get the gear to lower by means of the emergency handle it would not operate. He found the landing gear circuit breaker had popped. After he pushed the circuit breaker in and had the aircraft on jacks, the landing gear worked normally. In my investigation I found that there could have been a problem with the landing gear actuator due to a defective spring. Because of this I did an extensive investigation by observing the tear down of the landing gear actuator. Since there was some indication other Mooney owners/pilots had the same problem (the Mooney pilot April 2005 edition). In my investigation I found no mechanical or operational evidence that would indicate that the gear should not have operated in a normal manner. Therefore it has to be my conclusion that the aircraft was landed gear up.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 15, 2005, MOONEY M20J, N124JB, WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE OWNER, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO WAS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PURSUANT TO A WINGS WEEKEND BEING HELD AT HOPKINSVILLE, KENTUCY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED THE HOPKINSVILLE AIRPORT AND WAS FLOWN WITH THE INTENTION TO LAND AT OUTLAW FIELD, CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE. ON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY WITHOUT SUPPORT FORM THE LANDING GEAR. THE PROPELLER THEN STRUCK THE RUNWAY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO QUIT RUNNING. THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY ON ITS BELLY CAUSING MINOR SKIN AND ANTENNA DAMAGE. STATEMENTS FROM BOTH THE PILOT AND THE INSTRUCTOR INDICATE THAT THEY WERE MAKING THEIR APPROACH TO CLARKSVILLE AND PUT THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION. BOTH INDICATED THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND A VERBAL "GEAR DOWN" WAS SPOKEN "AFTER LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GEAR SWITCH AND LIGHTS." THE PILOT'S STATEMENT INDICATES THAT HE COULD NOT SEE THE GREEN DOWN LIGHT BECAUSE OF THE SEATS INTERFERENCE. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS STATED, AS THE THROTTLE WAS RETARDED, THERE WAS NO GEAR WARNING HORN THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED. ON LANDING, THE PLANE SETTLED ON THE RUNWAY AND SLID TO A STOP ON ITS BELLY. THE PERSON WHO RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF OUTLAW AVIATION SAID WHEN HE TRIED TO GET THE GEAR TO LOWER BY MEANS OF THE EMERGENCY HANDLE IT WOULD NOT OPERATE. HE FOUND THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. AFTER HE PUSHED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN AND HAD THE AIRCRAFT ON JACKS, THE LANDING GEAR WORKED NORMALLY. IN MY INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SPRING. BECAUSE OF THIS I DID AN EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION BY OBSERVING THE TEAR DOWN OF THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR. SINCE THERE WAS SOME INDICATION OTHER MOONEY OWNERS/PILOTS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM (THE MOONEY PILOT APRIL 2005 EDITION). IN MY INVESTIGATION I FOUND NO MECHANICAL OR OPERATIONAL EVIDENCE THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT THE GEAR SHOULD NOT HAVE OPERATED IN A NORMAL MANNER. THEREFORE IT HAS TO BE MY CONCLUSION THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED GEAR UP.
Other reports on N174JB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.