No fatalities

1 Apr 2009: MOONEY M20J — Pilot — Salem, IN

Salem, IN, United States

On 1 Apr 2009, a MOONEY M20J operated by Pilot was involved in an aviation accident near Salem, IN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to follow the landing checklist and extended the landing gear. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During practice takeoffs and landings, a pilot extended the landing gear but noticed it wasn't down during flare. The aircraft landed with gear retracted, skidding 500 feet. Post-accident inspection found no anomalies.

Incident Overview

The pilot was practicing takeoff and landings. While on the downwind leg to runway 10 (2,738 feet by 50 feet, asphalt), he extended the landing gear and heard the landing gear motor start. During the landing flare, the pilot noticed the landing gear was not down.

Sequence of Events

The airplane touched down on the runway with the landing gear retracted. It skidded about 500 feet before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and underside skin.

Recovery and Inspection

During recovery, the landing gear control handle was placed into the down position, and the landing gear extended when the master switch was turned on. A post-accident inspection of the airplane revealed no anomalies.

Contributing factors

PilotNot used/operated