On November 13, 2000, a Mooney M20J (registration N201JP) was involved in an aviation accident near Longmont, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the total failure of the left main gear strut during the landing roll. A contributing factor was the 6-foot high snow bank that the airplane impacted when it left the runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a rental checkout, a student pilot's touch-and-go landing turned into a runway excursion when the left main landing gear separated due to strut corrosion.
Accident Sequence
A rental checkout flight involving a flight instructor and a student pilot was conducted to practice touch-and-go landings. The approach was uneventful, according to the flight instructor. However, as soon as the airplane touched down, it turned sharply to the left. The student reported that the flight instructor took control of the aircraft, but was unable to prevent it from departing the runway. The airplane subsequently struck a 6-foot-high snow bank.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident investigation revealed that the left main landing gear had separated from the airplane immediately upon touchdown. Examination of the landing gear strut showed that it was corroded approximately one-third of the way through its thickness.