On March 29, 1994, a Mooney M-20C (registration N4045N) was involved in an aviation accident near Hyampom, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to properly engage the landing gear handle in the extended position locking mechanism. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During the landing roll-out, the landing gear handle dislodged from the locking mechanism and the landing gears retracted. Post-accident examination found no preexisting malfunctions and the locking mechanism operated normally.
Sequence of Events
While the aircraft was on the downwind leg of the approach, the pilot did not correctly engage the landing gear handle into the extended position locking mechanism. During the subsequent landing roll-out, the landing gear handle came out of the locking mechanism, which caused the landing gear to retract.
Post-Accident Examination
After the accident, an examination of the landing gear locking mechanism was conducted. The examination revealed no evidence of any preexisting malfunctions or failures. The landing gear locking mechanism was found to operate normally during testing.
Probable cause
The pilot failed to properly engage the landing gear handle in the extended position locking mechanism.