20181203023119I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20J · Kent, WA · December 3, 2018

Date
December 3, 2018 · 12:50 local
Place
Kent, WA
Airport
Norman Grier Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N205JS
Reported as
Mooney M20J
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
765 total185 in this make and model12 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.

While doing pattern work, pilot was distracted by something in his flight path. Object was flat and reportedly "loofing around". The pilot did not think the object was a drone.

After the distraction, the pilot lined up for landing, but for some reason, did not use the aircraft check list. Pilot did not realize gear was not down until he heard scraping of the aircraft on the runway, as the aircraft landed on the certerline of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE DOING PATTERN WORK, PILOT WAS DISTRACTED BY SOMETHING IN HIS FLIGHT PATH. OBJECT WAS FLAT AND REPORTEDLY "LOOFING AROUND". THE PILOT DID NOT THINK THE OBJECT WAS A DRONE.

AFTER THE DISTRACTION, THE PILOT LINED UP FOR LANDING, BUT FOR SOME REASON, DID NOT USE THE AIRCRAFT CHECK LIST. PILOT DID NOT REALIZE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN UNTIL HE HEARD SCRAPING OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY, AS THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE CERTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY.