On January 19, 2002, a Mooney M20E (registration N38AJ) was involved in an aviation accident near Glasgow, MT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate flying airspeed resulting in a stall/mush condition and loss of control at low altitude. A contributing factor was the pilot's distraction from flying the aircraft while attempting to retract the landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During takeoff, the pilot had difficulty securing the landing gear handle. Distracted, the aircraft slowed and rolled left. It struck the runway with the right wing and came to rest off the south side. Post-crash inspection found the gear not locked.
Accident Details
The pilot initiated a takeoff on runway 12 in a Mooney M20E. Rotation occurred at 60 to 65 miles per hour. The pilot then raised the manually operated landing gear but encountered difficulty securing the gear retraction handle in the down position, which corresponds to gear up and locked. While attempting to secure the handle, the pilot became distracted, and the aircraft transitioned to a nose-high and slow airspeed condition. A witness observed the aircraft reaching a maximum altitude of 40 to 50 feet and subsequently rolling to the left. The pilot recognized the situation and pitched the nose down in an effort to increase airspeed. The aircraft impacted the ground off the left side of the runway with its right wing. It then skidded across the runway and came to rest on the south side.
Aircraft Examination
Post-crash examination revealed that the landing gear was retracted but not in the up and locked position. The right wing exhibited aft and upward bending, and its underside had 45-degree scratch markings. The wings-level stall speed for the Mooney M20E at a takeoff flap setting of 15 degrees is documented in the Owner's Manual as 64 miles per hour.