- Date
- June 10, 2008, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Evanston, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1234GMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080610834319A
- Case key
- 68236
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
A collapse of the landing gear due to improper maintenance.
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 reported that he extended the landing gear while on approach for landing and got a "gear unsafe" red light indication. He recycled the landing gear and the gear light went out. The pilot called the local fixed base operator on the field and requested a flyby to confirm that the landing gear was down. Ground personnel indicated that the gear appeared to be down. The pilot accomplished the final pre-landing checks and landed the airplane. The landing gear collapsed immediately after touchdown. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a mechanic revealed that two wing skins and a metal tubular former in the belly needed to be replaced. The mechanic who inspected the landing gear stated that the gear collapsed because the over center tension for the nose wheel landing gear down locks was not properly adjusted.
Factual narrative
On June 10, 2008, approximately 1030 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N1234G, sustained substantial damage when the landing gear collapsed during the landing roll at Burns Field (EVW), Evanston, Wyoming. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, which had originated from Rifle, Colorado, about 0800. The pilot had filed and opened a Visual Flight Rules flight plan.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that when he engaged the landing gear while on approach, he got an unsafe red gear light. The pilot recycled the landing gear and checked the circuit breakers. The light then went out. The pilot contacted the local Fixed Base Operator and requested a flyby to have someone confirm that the landing gear was down. Ground personnel reported to the pilot that the gear appeared down. The pilot accomplished his final pre-landing checks and landed the airplane. Immediately after touchdown, the landing gear collapsed.
Postaccident examination of the airplane by a mechanic revealed that two wing skins and a metal tubular former in the belly needed to be replaced. Two Federal Aviation Administration Form 337 approvals were required to return the airplane to service. The mechanic who performed the work said the gear collapsed due to the over center tension for the nose wheel landing gear down locks was not properly adjusted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1234G
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1614
- Airframe hours
- 3,169
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 2008
- Departed
- RIL · Rifle, CO
- Destination
- EVW · Evanston, WY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- EVW · Burns Field, runway 23, 7,300 × 100 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 728 total · 482 in this make and model · 728 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 22 knots, gusting 33
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- EVW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.