- Date
- July 23, 2008, 18:30 local (Jul 24, 2008, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chehalis, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N252MXMooney M20K
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080724841069A
- Case key
- 68565
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 lower the landing gear, resulting in a gear up landing.
Findings · 2
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 was performing a straight in approach to the runway and he reduced power and extended the speed brakes as he descended. He also made several radio calls. When the airplane was about 5 miles from the runway, the pilot performed the pre-landing checklist, which he said includes putting the gear down. He reported that he intentionally left the gear retracted to keep more speed on the approach. When he was 3 miles from the runway, the pilot began a conversation over the radio with another pilot who was departing the airport. He stated that he became distracted by the conversation and did not remember to lower the landing gear. The airplane touched down in the middle of the runway with the gear retracted and sustained structural damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.
Factual narrative
In a written report the pilot stated that he was performing a straight in approach for the runway. He reduced power and extended the speed brakes as he descended. He also made several radio calls. When the airplane was about 5 miles from the runway, the pilot performed the pre-landing checklist, which he stated includes putting the gear down. He reported that he intentionally left the gear retracted, to keep more speed on the approach. When he was 3 miles from the runway, the pilot began a conversation over the radio with another pilot who was departing the airport. He stated that he became distracted by the conversation, and did not remember to lower the landing gear. The airplane touched down in the middle of the runway with the gear retracted, and sustained structural damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N252MX
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-1049
- Airframe hours
- 2,475.9
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- KUAO · Aurora, OR
- Destination
- Chehalis, WA
- Airport
- CLS · Chehalis-Centralia, runway 34, 5,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,610 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,552 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.