# Incident 20200712008289I: Mooney M20J, Easton, MD, July 12, 2020

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 12, 2020, 17:11 local time
- Place: Easton, MD
- Airport: Easton Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.7763° N, 76.0705° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Easton, MD, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7763&lon=-76.0705&mi=10
- Aircraft: N57663, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N57663) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 3,800 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200712008289I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JULY 12, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1711 LOCAL TIME. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE WHILE TAXING HIS MOONEY M20, N57663 TO RUNWAY 15 AT EASTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR HAD BEEN TURNED BEYOND ITS LIMITS PROBABLY SEVERAL TIMES CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE OF THE NOSE GEAR. OBSERVED WERE SIGNATURE MARKS ON EACH OF THE STOPS WHERE THE TUBING HAD BEEN FLATTENED. ADDITIONALLY OBSERVED WERE FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE TUBING IN THE AREA OF THE STOPS. THESE CRACKS PROBABLY OCCURRED OVER TIME AS THE NOSE GEAR WAS TURNED BEYOND THE TURN LIMITS SEVERAL TIMES. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHERE HE BASES THE AIRPLANE (GAI) HE KEEPS IT IN A COMMUNITY HANGAR THAT IS OPERATED BY THE LOCAL FBO. HE STATED THAT THEY USE A LONG TOW BAR WITH A TUG. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE FBO HAD JUST HIRED A NEW LINE PERSON WHO WAS VERY YOUNG AND HAS ONLY BEEN WORKING THERE FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS.

METAR: ESN,2020-07-12 16:50,KESN 122050Z 18008KT 10SM SCT120 32/17 A2978

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.

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