Accident Overview
On April 29, 2009, a Mooney M20C aircraft, registration LY-DFW, was involved in an accident at Paluknis aerodrome. The aircraft was being operated by VšĮ "Pilotų mokykla" and owned by a private individual. The flight was a check flight conducted with a Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) inspector on board. The pilot, a 29-year-old Latvian national holding a private pilot license, was accompanied by a 52-year-old Lithuanian CAA inspector who occupied the right seat.
Sequence of Events
The flight took place in the late afternoon. The pilot performed a circuit around the aerodrome while the inspector evaluated her piloting technique. After landing, as the aircraft taxied approximately 50 to 100 meters, the pilot intended to turn off the electric fuel pump. Instead, she inadvertently moved the landing gear control handle to the upward "UP" position. The inspector did not notice the pilot's mistake. The landing gear retracted, causing the aircraft to settle onto its belly and slide along the runway. The aircraft sustained damage to its lower fuselage, propeller, and other components. Neither the pilot nor the inspector was injured.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Mooney M20C manufactured in 1969 by Mooney Aircraft Corporation, USA, with serial number 690088. It had accumulated 3,834 total flight hours. The aircraft was equipped with an electric landing gear control system. The landing gear control handle was located at the top center of the instrument panel, while the fuel pump switch was positioned to the right and slightly above the gear handle. The fuel pump was deactivated by pressing the top of its switch. The aircraft had a valid certificate of airworthiness issued June 12, 2008, valid until June 11, 2009.
Crew Information
The pilot had a private pilot license issued by the Latvian CAA on September 28, 2007, and valid for single-engine piston landplanes. She had logged 216 total flight hours, including 172 as pilot-in-command. In the previous 30 days, she flew 31 hours, and in the previous 7 days, 13 hours. She had 5 hours on the M20C type and had not flown other aircraft with retractable landing gear. She held a valid Class 1 medical certificate. The inspector held a commercial pilot license with instructor qualifications and endorsements for single-engine and multi-engine landplanes, as well as PA-46 and SAAB-340 aircraft. He had approximately 4,000 total flight hours.
Investigation Findings
An experiment during the investigation indicated that deactivating the fuel pump with the right hand could not easily snag the gear handle due to the placement of the controls. Theoretically, using the left hand to reach diagonally across the panel could snag the handle, but this was considered awkward and unlikely. The inspector, who was responsible for monitoring the pilot's actions, did not provide sufficient attention at the end of the flight.
Conclusion
The landing gear of Mooney M20C LY-DFW was retracted while the aircraft was taxiing after landing because the pilot mistakenly moved the landing gear control handle to the retracted position instead of switching off the fuel pump.