No fatalities

14 Feb 2020: Mooney M20K No Series — Minden, NV

Minden, NV, United States

On 14 Feb 2020, a Mooney M20K No Series was involved in an aviation accident near Minden, NV. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to complete a before landing checklist, which resulted in his delayed extension of the landing gear, and his subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A retractable landing gear airplane experienced a hard landing after the pilot heard the gear was not down and extended it late, causing nose gear separation and a runway excursion.

Accident Overview

A pilot of a retractable landing gear airplane reported that, while on downwind to land, he performed a partial checklist and did not verify the landing gear position. During final approach, approximately 20 feet above ground level, he heard over the radio that his gear was not down.

Sequence of Events

The pilot immediately extended the landing gear, applied full power, and applied back pressure on the control yoke. With the airplane still in the landing configuration, he believed that the airplane stalled. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard, separating the nose gear. The airplane veered off the runway and struck a runway sign before coming to rest upright.

Damage

The left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

PilotCapability exceeded