# NTSB DEN00LA153: Mooney M20C, N5549Q, Erie, CO, July 24, 2000

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: July 24, 2000, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place: Erie, CO
- Coordinates: 40.02029, -105.040451 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0203&lon=-105.0405&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report March 2, 2001
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 50017
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN00LA153
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50017/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN00LA153

## Probable cause

Failure by the pilot to follow procedures and lower the landing gear.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Wheels up landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - procedures/directives - not followed, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

At the completion of a cross-country flight, the flight was on final approach when the pilot was distracted by a truck, which was parked on one of the exit taxiways from the runway.  Subsequently, the pilot failed to lower the landing gear and made a landing gear retracted landing.

## Factual narrative

On July 24, 2000, at 1300 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N5549Q, sustained substantial damage during a wheels up landing at Tri-County Airport, Erie, Colorado.  The private pilot and sole occupant was not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area cross country flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed.  The flight departed Longmont, Colorado, at 1230.

According to the pilot, he was distracted by a truck, which was parked on one of the exit taxiways from the runway, and he forgot to lower the landing gear.

During the landing, the aircraft sustained damage to the belly skin, ribs, and stringers.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5549Q](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5549Q-2018-03-07), registration cancelled 2018-03-07, S/N 2963 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Mooney M20C
- Registry model: [Mooney M20C](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (registry code 5870208) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 2963
- Airframe hours: 1540
- Engines: Lycoming IO360-A1D reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Curtis W. Simonsen
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, September 8, 1999, 110 hours before
- Departed: 2V2, LONGMONT, CO
- Destination: 48V
- Airport: 48V, Tri-County, runway 33, 4,700 × 60 ft, concrete

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 54; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 812 total, 500 in this make and model, 65 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 280° at 15 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 93 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: BJC, 15 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20000724011269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000724011269A), Jul 24, 2000: Mooney M20C, Erie, CO, No damage. (-23) Aircraft was landing runway 33 at tri county airpot (48V) and the pilot neglected to extend the landing gear. The aircraft contacted the runway with the…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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