20090719012979I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20J · Grain Valley, MO · July 19, 2009

Date: July 19, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place: Grain Valley, MO
Airport: East Kansas City
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N201NL
Reported as: Mooney M20J
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,500 total3,200 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N201NLRegistered now · Mooney M20JS/N 24-0273 · Built 1977 Airframe modelMooney M20J 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.

(-23) PIC stated that he began his landing checklist while on right downwind to runway 09, and was interrupted by the radio announcement from another inbound aircraft. He determined that he could continue onto base and fina, and "just didn't put the gear down" prior to contacting the runway. He also stated that neither he nor his two passengers recalled hearing the gear warning horn, even though he thought it worked on a previous flight. During recovery of the airplane, it was lifted off the runway, battery power was applied, and it was noted that the landing gear warning horn was not audible. The gear switch was actuated and the motor lowered the landing gear to their down and locked position. It has yet to be determined the cause of the gear warning system malfunction; however a follow-up report is anticipated following receipt of a report from the maintenance facility. Incident no. ICE052009020 is closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PIC STATED THAT HE BEGAN HIS LANDING CHECKLIST WHILE ON RIGHT DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 09, AND WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ANOTHER INBOUND AIRCRAFT. HE DETERMINED THAT HE COULD CONTINUE ONTO BASE AND FINA, AND "JUST DIDN'T PUT THE GEAR DOWN" PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE RUNWAY. HE ALSO STATED THAT NEITHER HE NOR HIS TWO PASSENGERS RECALLED HEARING THE GEAR WARNING HORN, EVEN THOUGH HE THOUGHT IT WORKED ON A PREVIOUS FLIGHT. DURING RECOVERY OF THE AIRPLANE, IT WAS LIFTED OFF THE RUNWAY, BATTERY POWER WAS APPLIED, AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN WAS NOT AUDIBLE. THE GEAR SWITCH WAS ACTUATED AND THE MOTOR LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR TO THEIR DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. IT HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR WARNING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION; HOWEVER A FOLLOW-UP REPORT IS ANTICIPATED FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF A REPORT FROM THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY. INCIDENT NO. ICE052009020 IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.