# Accident 20200503005449A: Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, Athens, GA, May 3, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 3, 2020, 11:00 local time - Place: Athens, GA - Airport: Athens Ben-Epps Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.9486° N, 83.3258° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9486&lon=-83.3258&mi=10 - Aircraft: N231DW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N231DW) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20CA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA171) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200503005449A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 ERA20CA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA171), May 3, 2020: Mooney M20K (N231DW), Athens, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collapse of the left main landing gear for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. ## Other reports on N231DW (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19970514010739I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970514010739I), May 14, 1997: Mooney M20K (N231DW), Myrtle Beach, SC, Minor damage. Pilot reported that his gear was down and locked prior to landing, but the gear collapsed during rollout. Examination of the aircraft disclosed abraision… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.