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20260824012509I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Mooney M20J · Fitchburg, MA · August 24, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 24, 2026 · 20:00 local
Place
Fitchburg, MA
Airport
Fitchburg Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N201LT
Reported as
Mooney M20J
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,030 total950 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N201LTRegistered now · Mooney M20JS/N 24-0511 · Built 1978Airframe modelMooney M20JEngine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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.

On August 24, 2026, at approximately 20:00 EDT, a Mooney aircraft, operated by the owner as the pilot in command (PIC), sustained minor damage to the lower fuselage, engine exhaust, cockpit step, and propeller blade tips during a gear-up landing at Fitchburg Municipal Airport (kfit). During the landing approach to runway 32, the (PIC) stated they were interrupted by a telephone call and failed to place the landing gear handle in the down position. The (PIC) stated that the landing gear warning horn was activated during the approach. The aircraft touched down with the landing gear retracted, and the lower fuselage contacted the runway surface. The propeller blade tips subsequently struck the runway. The aircraft slid along the runway and eventually came to a stop after veering to the right of the centerline. The PIC shut down the engine and exited the aircraft, where he was met by airport personnel. No injuries were reported. The (PIC) stated that the aircraft was equipped with a pilot's checklist; however, (PIC) stated the checklist was not used during the landing.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 24, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 20:00 EDT, A MOONEY AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY THE OWNER AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE, ENGINE EXHAUST, COCKPIT STEP, AND PROPELLER BLADE TIPS DURING A GEAR-UP LANDING AT FITCHBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KFIT). DURING THE LANDING APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32, THE (PIC) STATED THEY WERE INTERRUPTED BY A TELEPHONE CALL AND FAILED TO PLACE THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE (PIC) STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN WAS ACTIVATED DURING THE APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED, AND THE LOWER FUSELAGE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ALONG THE RUNWAY AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER VEERING TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE. THE PIC SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, WHERE HE WAS MET BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE (PIC) STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A PILOT'S CHECKLIST; HOWEVER, (PIC) STATED THE CHECKLIST WAS NOT USED DURING THE LANDING.