Casualties unknown

1997-10-20: Mooney M20C (N3426X) — Hendersonville, NC

Hendersonville, NC, US

On October 20, 1997, a Mooney M20C (registration N3426X) was involved in an aviation accident near Hendersonville, NC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The undetermined malfunction of the nose gear steering assembly that resulted in the loss of directional control during a full stop landing. A factor was the rough and uneven runway condition. . This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

During a landing, the aircraft became difficult to control, veered left, skidded, and sustained nose gear separation and right main gear collapse. The pilot cited a rough runway surface and prior nose gear maintenance issues.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during the second landing, the aircraft became difficult to control, veered off the left side of the runway, and began to skid. During the skidding maneuver, the nose gear assembly was torn from the airframe, and the right main landing gear collapsed in the opposite direction of normal retraction.

Runway Conditions

The pilot noted that the runway surface had undergone several previous repairs and was rough and uneven. The aircraft touched down within this rough and uneven portion of the runway.

Maintenance History

Prior to the incident, the aircraft had undergone extensive maintenance on the nose gear assembly, including the completion of Mooney Service Bulletin (SB) M20-202. This service bulletin provides instructions for checking the location of the nose wheel for optimum tracking during high-speed ground operations. The pilot stated that the nose wheel steering linkage was replaced and that the nose wheel steering shock assembly was removed in accordance with the airframe maintenance instructions.

Post-Maintenance Handling Issues

The pilot reported that high-speed nose wheel steering and controllability were more difficult after the repairs than before. The mechanic continued making adjustments to the nose gear in an effort to correct the steering problems. However, nose gear repairs and adjustments failed to correct the high-speed ground handling control problem.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X08954. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.