No fatalities

28 Jul 2009: MOONEY M20S — Mayfield, KY

Mayfield, KY, United States

On 28 Jul 2009, a MOONEY M20S was involved in an aviation accident near Mayfield, KY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot prematurely retracting the landing gear and flaps during the aborted landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot aborted a landing after two bounces, applied full power, and retracted landing gear and flaps. The airplane settled onto the runway, departed the left side, struck runway lights, and sustained substantial underside damage.

Event Summary

During an attempted landing on a 5,001-foot long, 100-foot wide runway, the pilot experienced two bounces and decided to abort the landing. He applied full power, retracted the landing gear and flaps. Subsequently, the airplane settled onto the runway, departed the left side, struck runway lights, and incurred substantial damage to the underside of the airframe.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. When asked how this accident could have been prevented, he explained that a positive rate of climb must be established before the gear and flaps are retracted.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the underside of the airframe as a result of striking runway lights during the runway excursion.

Contributing factors

Incorrect use/operationPilot