20180722017589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20E · Great Falls, MT · July 22, 2018

Date: July 22, 2018 · 09:00 local
Place: Great Falls, MT
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7845V
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA438
Reported as: Mooney M20E
Reported engine: Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 300 total23 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days

N7845VRegistered now · Mooney M20ES/N 466 Airframe modelMooney M20E 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.

The pilot (flying left seat) had departed from the Great Falls, MT (kgtf) to fly in the local area with a flight instructor (right seat) in preparation for commercial pilot flight training. They completed a series of flight maneuvers, including landing and takeoff stalls with the gear down. Upon completion of the maneuvers, they returned to gtf and were preparing to perform a short field landing. The instructor asked the pilot to show him how to put the gear down, as he had never flown a manual gear Mooney. The gear was then moved from the gear down position to the gear up position by the flight instructor with the pilot?s assistance and hand on the ?johnson bar? Gear handle. The instructor stated he thought it was ?handle down=gear down?. The pilot and instructor both did the gump checklist twice, both verifying the handle to be stowed down, (which placed the gear in the up position.) The aircraft then landed with the gear up, stopping after sliding about 800 feet.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT (FLYING LEFT SEAT) HAD DEPARTED FROM THE GREAT FALLS, MT (KGTF) TO FLY IN THE LOCAL AREA WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (RIGHT SEAT) IN PREPARATION FOR COMMERCIAL PILOT FLIGHT TRAINING. THEY COMPLETED A SERIES OF FLIGHT MANEUVERS, INCLUDING LANDING AND TAKEOFF STALLS WITH THE GEAR DOWN. UPON COMPLETION OF THE MANEUVERS, THEY RETURNED TO GTF AND WERE PREPARING TO PERFORM A SHORT FIELD LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED THE PILOT TO SHOW HIM HOW TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN, AS HE HAD NEVER FLOWN A MANUAL GEAR MOONEY. THE GEAR WAS THEN MOVED FROM THE GEAR DOWN POSITION TO THE GEAR UP POSITION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WITH THE PILOT?S ASSISTANCE AND HAND ON THE ?JOHNSON BAR? GEAR HANDLE. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED HE THOUGHT IT WAS ?HANDLE DOWN=GEAR DOWN?. THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR BOTH DID THE GUMP CHECKLIST TWICE, BOTH VERIFYING THE HANDLE TO BE STOWED DOWN, (WHICH PLACED THE GEAR IN THE UP POSITION.) THE AIRCRAFT THEN LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP, STOPPING AFTER SLIDING ABOUT 800 FEET.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB GAA18CA438Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportGreat Falls, MTThe flight instructor’s incorrect use of the landing gear system and his and the pilot’s failure to ensure that the landing gear was extended, which resulted in a gear-up landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s unfamiliarity with the…Jul 22, 2018 · Substantial damage