20260217005689I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20C · Gulfport, MS · February 17, 2026

Date: February 17, 2026 · 19:53 local
Place: Gulfport, MS
Airport: Gulfport-Biloxi International
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N78994
Reported as: Mooney M20C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

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.

Upon landing, the pilot reported that a gust of wind lifted the aircraft's nose, causing the front landing gear to hit the ground hard and collapse. The collapsed gear led the engine propellers to strike the ground, resulting in a propeller strike and sudden stoppage. Further examination revealed that the front shock disk had failed.

A function check of the aircraft's landing gear (swing check) was conducted, and the landing gear operated properly. Further inspection of the landing gear revealed that the shock disk was dry-rotted, resulting in a large crack approximately 1/2 inch wide and 6 inches in length.

As the FAA filed it

UPON LANDING, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE, CAUSING THE FRONT LANDING GEAR TO HIT THE GROUND HARD AND COLLAPSE. THE COLLAPSED GEAR LED THE ENGINE PROPELLERS TO STRIKE THE GROUND, RESULTING IN A PROPELLER STRIKE AND SUDDEN STOPPAGE. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FRONT SHOCK DISK HAD FAILED.

A FUNCTION CHECK OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR (SWING CHECK) WAS CONDUCTED, AND THE LANDING GEAR OPERATED PROPERLY. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE SHOCK DISK WAS DRY-ROTTED, RESULTING IN A LARGE CRACK APPROXIMATELY 1/2 INCH WIDE AND 6 INCHES IN LENGTH.