20120323011789A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20J · Butler, PA · March 23, 2012

Date
March 23, 2012 · 13:35 local
Place
Butler, PA
Airport
Butler County/K W Scholter Fie
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N58135
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12CA247
Reported as
Mooney M20J
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 SER A&C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,192 total140 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days

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.

On site investigation at the Butler county / k w Scholter field (btp) revealed the following facts:the aircraft had initial propeller strikes on runway 8 at (btp) that started approximately 648 feet west of taxiway delta. As the aircraft slid and decelerated on the runway, it veered to the right, shearing the taxi way delta sign from its mounts, causing substantial damage to the right wing. Pilot stated the following:"my recollection of events leading up to my gear-up landing in my 1986 Mooney 201 N-58135 at about 1310 hrs on Friday 3/23/2012 follows:based on btp CTAF transmissions there were 3 other aircraft nearby. Two were in the pattern and a third was approaching from the east at a distance of 10 miles. I was 5 miles nw of the airport and broadcast my intent for a downwind entry for rw 08 (the active). In order to enter well ahead of the plane on the long downwind, I shortened my downwind entry so that I came close to the w end of the rw rather than midfield. I deployed flaps, but failed to lower the gear at the 'key' point (even with the end of the rw). I was looking about to make sure that there were no other planes in the pattern or nearby. I deployed full flaps on base and made the turn to final. I turned to final and continued with the approach. I had a sense of being fast but failed to note that the gear was up. I do not recall hearing the gear warning horn until it was too late. I am not completely sure when I first became aware that I had not lowered the gear. It was either when I sensed that I was lower than expected for touchdown or when I heard the prop strike. I tried then to lower the gear, but it was obviously too late. I clearly became aware of the warning horn when I came to a stop and removed my head set. It is difficult to recall exactly the order of sensing all that happened during the interval of touching down. I believe I realized the gear was up with the prop-strike".

As the FAA filed it

ON SITE INVESTIGATION AT THE BUTLER COUNTY / K W SCHOLTER FIELD (BTP) REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FACTS:THE AIRCRAFT HAD INITIAL PROPELLER STRIKES ON RUNWAY 8 AT (BTP) THAT STARTED APPROXIMATELY 648 FEET WEST OF TAXIWAY DELTA. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID AND DECELERATED ON THE RUNWAY, IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT, SHEARING THE TAXI WAY DELTA SIGN FROM ITS MOUNTS, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. PILOT STATED THE FOLLOWING:"MY RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO MY GEAR-UP LANDING IN MY 1986 MOONEY 201 N-58135 AT ABOUT 1310 HRS ON FRIDAY 3/23/2012 FOLLOWS:BASED ON BTP CTAF TRANSMISSIONS THERE WERE 3 OTHER AIRCRAFT NEARBY. TWO WERE IN THE PATTERN AND A THIRD WAS APPROACHING FROM THE EAST AT A DISTANCE OF 10 MILES. I WAS 5 MILES NW OF THE AIRPORT AND BROADCAST MY INTENT FOR A DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RW 08 (THE ACTIVE). IN ORDER TO ENTER WELL AHEAD OF THE PLANE ON THE LONG DOWNWIND, I SHORTENED MY DOWNWIND ENTRY SO THAT I CAME CLOSE TO THE W END OF THE RW RATHER THAN MIDFIELD. I DEPLOYED FLAPS, BUT FAILED TO LOWER THE GEAR AT THE 'KEY' POINT (EVEN WITH THE END OF THE RW). I WAS LOOKING ABOUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN OR NEARBY. I DEPLOYED FULL FLAPS ON BASE AND MADE THE TURN TO FINAL. I TURNED TO FINAL AND CONTINUED WITH THE APPROACH. I HAD A SENSE OF BEING FAST BUT FAILED TO NOTE THAT THE GEAR WAS UP. I DO NOT RECALL HEARING THE GEAR WARNING HORN UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE WHEN I FIRST BECAME AWARE THAT I HAD NOT LOWERED THE GEAR. IT WAS EITHER WHEN I SENSED THAT I WAS LOWER THAN EXPECTED FOR TOUCHDOWN OR WHEN I HEARD THE PROP STRIKE. I TRIED THEN TO LOWER THE GEAR, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUSLY TOO LATE. I CLEARLY BECAME AWARE OF THE WARNING HORN WHEN I CAME TO A STOP AND REMOVED MY HEAD SET. IT IS DIFFICULT TO RECALL EXACTLY THE ORDER OF SENSING ALL THAT HAPPENED DURING THE INTERVAL OF TOUCHING DOWN. I BELIEVE I REALIZED THE GEAR WAS UP WITH THE PROP-STRIKE".

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.