What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N74566 is a 1961 Mooney M20B privacy data omitted. The standard a/w certificate date is 11 October 1961 and the valid registration certification issue date is 12 September 2016.
The purpose of the flight was for personal/recreational reasons. The pilot performed pre-flight and obtained weather updates through UNICOM weather with no issues to report. He noticed an increase in radio communication due to some traffic in the pattern. The pilot performed pre-takeoff procedures and taxied onto rwy 14 for takeoff. The roll out and lift off was uneventful and normal with the plane responding well even though the density altitude was close to 2000. He raised the gear shortly after lift off and climbed to 1400 feet before turning left to prepare to enter downwind. Engine leaning or reduction of power did not take place until the aircraft obtained 1700 feet. The pilot reached pattern altitude and made a left turn for 14. After reducing the speed to less than 120 mph the landing gear was lowered. The pilot checked to confirm the johnson bar was firmly secure in the bracket and he had a green light. He made a radio call for entering the downwind, performed a gumps check and landed normally. On the second loop around the pattern everything was exactly the same as the first with exception of noticeable increased traffic entering the pattern. At that point he decided it was a little too much traffic out and he would terminate flying after the next landing. On the third iteration he entered the downwind for rwy 14, made a radio call and assumed he had lowered the landing gear. He pulled the carb heat on and slowed to 100 mph for the first notch of flaps. He continued downwind, slowed the airplane to 90 mph, turned base and announced his position. Once he turned final he slowed to 80 mph entered full flaps and crossed the threshold at 70 mph on centerline. The airplane struck the runway and slip down the centerline on its belly. The pilot immediately remembered he failed to perform a gumps check and subsequent lowering of the landing gear.
No injuries or subtsantial damage to aircraft was found. Minor skin damage to the belly and landing gear empennage was evident.
As the FAA filed it
N74566 IS A 1961 MOONEY M20B ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE STANDARD A/W CERTIFICATE DATE IS 11 OCTOBER 1961 AND THE VALID REGISTRATION CERTIFICATION ISSUE DATE IS 12 SEPTEMBER 2016.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR PERSONAL/RECREATIONAL REASONS. THE PILOT PERFORMED PRE-FLIGHT AND OBTAINED WEATHER UPDATES THROUGH UNICOM WEATHER WITH NO ISSUES TO REPORT. HE NOTICED AN INCREASE IN RADIO COMMUNICATION DUE TO SOME TRAFFIC IN THE PATTERN. THE PILOT PERFORMED PRE-TAKEOFF PROCEDURES AND TAXIED ONTO RWY 14 FOR TAKEOFF. THE ROLL OUT AND LIFT OFF WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NORMAL WITH THE PLANE RESPONDING WELL EVEN THOUGH THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CLOSE TO 2000. HE RAISED THE GEAR SHORTLY AFTER LIFT OFF AND CLIMBED TO 1400 FEET BEFORE TURNING LEFT TO PREPARE TO ENTER DOWNWIND. ENGINE LEANING OR REDUCTION OF POWER DID NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT OBTAINED 1700 FEET. THE PILOT REACHED PATTERN ALTITUDE AND MADE A LEFT TURN FOR 14. AFTER REDUCING THE SPEED TO LESS THAN 120 MPH THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED. THE PILOT CHECKED TO CONFIRM THE JOHNSON BAR WAS FIRMLY SECURE IN THE BRACKET AND HE HAD A GREEN LIGHT. HE MADE A RADIO CALL FOR ENTERING THE DOWNWIND, PERFORMED A GUMPS CHECK AND LANDED NORMALLY. ON THE SECOND LOOP AROUND THE PATTERN EVERYTHING WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE FIRST WITH EXCEPTION OF NOTICEABLE INCREASED TRAFFIC ENTERING THE PATTERN. AT THAT POINT HE DECIDED IT WAS A LITTLE TOO MUCH TRAFFIC OUT AND HE WOULD TERMINATE FLYING AFTER THE NEXT LANDING. ON THE THIRD ITERATION HE ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14, MADE A RADIO CALL AND ASSUMED HE HAD LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR. HE PULLED THE CARB HEAT ON AND SLOWED TO 100 MPH FOR THE FIRST NOTCH OF FLAPS. HE CONTINUED DOWNWIND, SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO 90 MPH, TURNED BASE AND ANNOUNCED HIS POSITION. ONCE HE TURNED FINAL HE SLOWED TO 80 MPH ENTERED FULL FLAPS AND CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AT 70 MPH ON CENTERLINE. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RUNWAY AND SLIP DOWN THE CENTERLINE ON ITS BELLY. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY REMEMBERED HE FAILED TO PERFORM A GUMPS CHECK AND SUBSEQUENT LOWERING OF THE LANDING GEAR.
NO INJURIES OR SUBTSANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND. MINOR SKIN DAMAGE TO THE BELLY AND LANDING GEAR EMPENNAGE WAS EVIDENT.
Other reports on N74566 · 1
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