# Incident 20260217005689I: Mooney M20C, Gulfport, MS, February 17, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 17, 2026, 19:53 local time
- Place: Gulfport, MS
- Airport: Gulfport-Biloxi International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.4073° N, 89.0701° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GULFPORT-BILOXI INTL (GPT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4073&lon=-89.0701&mi=10
- Aircraft: N78994 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260217005689I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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