- Date
- February 14, 2020, 13:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N231VMMooney M20K
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200214002559A
- Case key
- 101049
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 complete a before landing checklist, which resulted in his delayed extension of the landing gear, and his subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 4
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, while on downwind to land, he partially completed a checklist and did not verify the landing gear position. He added that, while on final approach and about 20 ft above ground level, a pilot waiting to take off told him over the radio that the landing gear were not down. The pilot immediately extended the landing gear and applied full power and back pressure on the control yoke. The airplane stalled and subsequently landed hard, and the nose landing gear separated. The airplane veered off the runway, struck a runway sign, and then came to rest upright. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a retractable landing gear airplane reported that, while on downwind to land, he did a partial checklist and did not verify the landing gear position. While on final approach, about 20 ft above ground level, he heard over the radio that his gear was not down. The pilot reported that he immediately extended the landing gear, applied full power and applied back pressure on the control yoke. With the airplane still in the landing configuration, he believed that the airplane stalled and subsequently landed hard, separating the nose gear. The airplane veered off the runway and struck a runway sign before it came to rest upright. The left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231VM
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0426
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 4,030
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-KB, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 25, 2019 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- MEV · Minden, NV
- Destination
- MEV · Minden, NV
- Airport
- MEV · Minden-Tahoe, runway 34, 7,399 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 6, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,528 total · 921 in this make and model · 1,528 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 0.6 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KMEV
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 17, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.3 MB 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.