- Date
- April 11, 2011, 07:13 local (11:13 UTC)
- Place
- Augusta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N777CVMooney M20K
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110411008469A
- Case key
- 78833
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reported fatigue.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight at approximately 0300 local time. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at his destination airport where the pilot requested and received an instrument flight rules clearance for an instrument approach. The pilot conducted two missed approaches but fog precluded him from making visual contact with the runway before diverting to another airport. The pilot conducted an instrument approach at the alternate airport and, just prior to landing at approximately 0700 local time, realized that he had failed to extend the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed gear-up, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that fatigue, weather conditions, and the distraction of the diversion contributed to the error.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at his destination airport where the pilot requested and received an instrument flight rules clearance for an instrument approach. The pilot conducted two missed approaches but fog precluded him from making visual contact with the runway before diverting to another airport. The pilot conducted an instrument approach at the alternate airport, and just prior to landing, realized that he had failed to extend the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed gear-up, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that fatigue, weather conditions, and the distraction of the diversion contributed to the error.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N777CV
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0149
- Airframe hours
- 2,723
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wilson Thomas S Md
- Registered owner
- Wilson Thomas S Md
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2010
- Departed
- LFT · Lafayette, LA
- Destination
- BXE · Waynesboro, GA
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- AGS · Augusta Regional, runway 35, 8,001 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 3, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 125 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- AGS
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 28, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 142 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N777CV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.