# Accident 20120323011789A: Mooney M20J, Butler, PA, March 23, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 23, 2012, 13:35 local time
- Place: Butler, PA
- Airport: Butler County/K W Scholter Fie
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.7764° N, 79.9511° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7764&lon=-79.9511&mi=10
- Aircraft: N58135, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N58135) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER A&C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,192 total, 140 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12CA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA247) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120323011789A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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".

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA12CA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA247), Mar 23, 2012: Mooney M20J (N58135), Butler, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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