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20060113001319I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Mooney M20C · Navasota, TX · January 13, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 13, 2006 · 16:05 local
Place
Navasota, TX
Airport
Navasota Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7789M
Reported as
Mooney M20C
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A1D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,720 total3,000 in this make and model56 in the last 90 days
N7789MRegistered now · Mooney M20CS/N 20-0023 · Built 1974Airframe modelMooney M20CEngine 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) Accidental gear-up landing, minor damage to the aircraft, and no injuries ot the solo occupant. The 3,720 hour private pilot, who said he had about 3,000 hours in the Mooney M-20, said he simply failed to complete his written cockpit prelanding checklist after a 160 NM cross country VFR flight. The pilot said he was distracted by the moderate to severe turbulence at low altitude and the strong gusty winds as the surface (33013G23KT rmk pk wnd 31027/2139). The pilot said he was "about 10 feet above the ground and floated once or twice trying to get down." The pilot said he does not remember hearing the gear warning horn. Although there was a very strong headwind for the final approach, the Mooney ranger touched down 1,100 feet north of the south (approach) end of the 3,204 feet x 60 feet wide asphalt runway 35 approximately 4 inches to the right of the centerline and the aircraft came to rest two feet to the right of the centerline after a 220 foot slide. The pilot said his first words after touchdown were: (loudly) "rats...what a lousy deal on Friday the 13th."

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCIDENTAL GEAR-UP LANDING, MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND NO INJURIES OT THE SOLO OCCUPANT. THE 3,720 HOUR PRIVATE PILOT, WHO SAID HE HAD ABOUT 3,000 HOURS IN THE MOONEY M-20, SAID HE SIMPLY FAILED TO COMPLETE HIS WRITTEN COCKPIT PRELANDING CHECKLIST AFTER A 160 NM CROSS COUNTRY VFR FLIGHT. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS DISTRACTED BY THE MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE AT LOW ALTITUDE AND THE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS THE SURFACE (33013G23KT RMK PK WND 31027/2139). THE PILOT SAID HE WAS "ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND FLOATED ONCE OR TWICE TRYING TO GET DOWN." THE PILOT SAID HE DOES NOT REMEMBER HEARING THE GEAR WARNING HORN. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A VERY STRONG HEADWIND FOR THE FINAL APPROACH, THE MOONEY RANGER TOUCHED DOWN 1,100 FEET NORTH OF THE SOUTH (APPROACH) END OF THE 3,204 FEET X 60 FEET WIDE ASPHALT RUNWAY 35 APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST TWO FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE AFTER A 220 FOOT SLIDE. THE PILOT SAID HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN WERE: (LOUDLY) "RATS...WHAT A LOUSY DEAL ON FRIDAY THE 13TH."