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20201125017199I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Mooney M20TN · Chesapeake, VA · November 25, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 25, 2020 · 19:00 local
Place
Chesapeake, VA
Airport
Hampton Roads Executive Airpor
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N278SB
Reported as
Mooney M20TN
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-550-G
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,051 total186 in this make and model169 in the last 90 days
N278SBRegistered now · Mooney M20TNS/N 31-0094 · Built 2008Airframe modelMooney M20TNEngine modelContinental TSIO-550-GReciprocating

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.

Pilot stated he was on an IFR flight plan and enroute to Hampton Roads executive airport (kpvg) from the piedmont triad international airport (kgso). During the flight into kpvg, the pilot stated air traffic control (ATC) issued a descent clearance that required him to conduct a high rate of descent. Because of the high rate of descent, he utilized speed brakes to bleed off airspeed. The pilot then requested the ILS 10 at kpvg, however, instead of a fix established on the ILS 10 approach, ATC issued him direct to sezjy, which was a fix on the RNAV 10 approach. This caused him to reconfigure the G1000 for the different approach. The pilot had visual sight of the runway and cancelled the IFR flight plan. The pilot attempted to complete the before landing checklist, but because of the late descent from ATC, the aircraft was still at too high of an airspeed to extend the landing gear. He placed his hand on the gear while he waited for the airspeed to bleed off to gear speed (140 knots). While on the UNICOM frequency, a pilot in the pattern stated there was "lots of wind" at the airport. In order to check for weather updates, the pilot removed his hand from the landing gear handle to switch the radio to the AWOS frequency. The pilot then lined up on final, flared, and landed on runway 10. It wasn't until he landed that he realized he landed with the gear retracted. As a result, the landing caused damage to the gear, propellers and fuselage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED HE WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND ENROUTE TO HAMPTON ROADS EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KPVG) FROM THE PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KGSO). DURING THE FLIGHT INTO KPVG, THE PILOT STATED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) ISSUED A DESCENT CLEARANCE THAT REQUIRED HIM TO CONDUCT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH RATE OF DESCENT, HE UTILIZED SPEED BRAKES TO BLEED OFF AIRSPEED. THE PILOT THEN REQUESTED THE ILS 10 AT KPVG, HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF A FIX ESTABLISHED ON THE ILS 10 APPROACH, ATC ISSUED HIM DIRECT TO SEZJY, WHICH WAS A FIX ON THE RNAV 10 APPROACH. THIS CAUSED HIM TO RECONFIGURE THE G1000 FOR THE DIFFERENT APPROACH. THE PILOT HAD VISUAL SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND CANCELLED THE IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LATE DESCENT FROM ATC, THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL AT TOO HIGH OF AN AIRSPEED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. HE PLACED HIS HAND ON THE GEAR WHILE HE WAITED FOR THE AIRSPEED TO BLEED OFF TO GEAR SPEED (140 KNOTS). WHILE ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY, A PILOT IN THE PATTERN STATED THERE WAS "LOTS OF WIND" AT THE AIRPORT. IN ORDER TO CHECK FOR WEATHER UPDATES, THE PILOT REMOVED HIS HAND FROM THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE TO SWITCH THE RADIO TO THE AWOS FREQUENCY. THE PILOT THEN LINED UP ON FINAL, FLARED, AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 10. IT WASN'T UNTIL HE LANDED THAT HE REALIZED HE LANDED WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. AS A RESULT, THE LANDING CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GEAR, PROPELLERS AND FUSELAGE.