What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 3, 2020 at approximately 11:00EST N231DW s/n 25-0144, a 1979 Mooney M20K was conducting a VFR flight from peachtree-dekalb airport (kpdk) to Athens, GA (kahn). The aircraft experienced a collapse of its left main landing gear as it touched down on runway 27 at the Athens ben Epps airport in Athens, GA (kahn). There was one person on board with no injuries.
On may 6, 2020 inspectors from the atlanta FSDO SO-11 were dispatched to conduct an investigation as to the probable cause of the landing gear collapse during landing. Inspectors gained access to the hangar housing N231DW from the local A&P mechanic who recovered the aircraft. Initial assessment of the aircraft showed damage to the propeller with both ends curved aft indicating the aircraft was making power. There was damage to the underbelly of the aircraft, the nose landing gear, the left main landing gear, and damage to the left wingtip. Closer inspection of the left landing gear mechanisms indicated damage to the push-pull control arm used to actuate the left main gear indicating the landing gear was not locked and created a counter-force against the control arm. The main landing gear motor circuit breaker had also been tripped. There was substantial damage to the left wingtip due to spar damage which will require a major repair.
The aircraft pilot stated he departed peachtree-dekalb airport (kpdk) without incident and accomplished a VFR flight to Athens, GA (kahn). The pilot executed a normal VFR approach and, after tower clearance, the pilot lowered his landing gear and entered a left downwind. The pilot verified the landing gear was down and locked by observing the panel and floor indicators. The pilot proceeded to a final approach at 70 KIAS, performed final checks and verified the landing gear was down and locked. On landing, the left main gear collapsed followed by the nose landing gear. The aircraft skidded down the runway centerline before veering left and came to stop in the grass left of the runway. The pilot was taken to the terminal by airport personnel. The pilot did not suffer any injuries. A mechanic at the airport moved the aircraft to a hangar pending investigation. At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated 1316 hours of total flight time, 1231 hours total pilot-in-command, and 1051 pilot-in-command hours in the Mooney M20K. Last flight review was June 2, 2018.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 3, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00EST N231DW S/N 25-0144, A 1979 MOONEY M20K WAS CONDUCTING A VFR FLIGHT FROM PEACHTREE-DEKALB AIRPORT (KPDK) TO ATHENS, GA (KAHN). THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSE OF ITS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AS IT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 27 AT THE ATHENS BEN EPPS AIRPORT IN ATHENS, GA (KAHN). THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD WITH NO INJURIES.
ON MAY 6, 2020 INSPECTORS FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO SO-11 WERE DISPATCHED TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AS TO THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE DURING LANDING. INSPECTORS GAINED ACCESS TO THE HANGAR HOUSING N231DW FROM THE LOCAL A&P MECHANIC WHO RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT. INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER WITH BOTH ENDS CURVED AFT INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING POWER. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE UNDERBELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WINGTIP. CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE LEFT LANDING GEAR MECHANISMS INDICATED DAMAGE TO THE PUSH-PULL CONTROL ARM USED TO ACTUATE THE LEFT MAIN GEAR INDICATING THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT LOCKED AND CREATED A COUNTER-FORCE AGAINST THE CONTROL ARM. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD ALSO BEEN TRIPPED. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WINGTIP DUE TO SPAR DAMAGE WHICH WILL REQUIRE A MAJOR REPAIR.
THE AIRCRAFT PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED PEACHTREE-DEKALB AIRPORT (KPDK) WITHOUT INCIDENT AND ACCOMPLISHED A VFR FLIGHT TO ATHENS, GA (KAHN). THE PILOT EXECUTED A NORMAL VFR APPROACH AND, AFTER TOWER CLEARANCE, THE PILOT LOWERED HIS LANDING GEAR AND ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND. THE PILOT VERIFIED THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED BY OBSERVING THE PANEL AND FLOOR INDICATORS. THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO A FINAL APPROACH AT 70 KIAS, PERFORMED FINAL CHECKS AND VERIFIED THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. ON LANDING, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED DOWN THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE BEFORE VEERING LEFT AND CAME TO STOP IN THE GRASS LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE TERMINAL BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL. THE PILOT DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES. A MECHANIC AT THE AIRPORT MOVED THE AIRCRAFT TO A HANGAR PENDING INVESTIGATION. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED 1316 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, 1231 HOURS TOTAL PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND 1051 PILOT-IN-COMMAND HOURS IN THE MOONEY M20K. LAST FLIGHT REVIEW WAS JUNE 2, 2018.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N231DW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.