Mooney M20C N669GJ
17 October 2021 · Lynchburg, Virginia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 October 2021 at about 16:15 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N669GJ was involved in an accident near Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lynchburg Rgnl/Preston Glenn F (LYH)
- Coordinates
- 37.3184, -79.2056
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C
- Registration
- N669GJ
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1961
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Jasper → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA22LA020
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The uncommanded landing gear retraction following a hard landing for reasons that could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he extended the landing gear while performing a 360ยบ turn to lose altitude on final approach and verified that it was down and locked. Upon landing, the landing gear retracted, and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A witness waiting to depart stated that the landing gear was down and the airplane appeared to land harder than usual in the gusting conditions. The airplane bounced twice, and on the second bounce, while the airplane was airborne, the landing gear retracted into the up position. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the gear lever was in the retracted position and the landing gear functioned normally. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He stated that on a previous flight, the landing gear lever became unlatched and during all subsequent flights, he would forcefully jerk on the lever to ensure it was latched.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr 2021 | Mooney M20C | College Park, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2021 | Mooney M20C | Slave Lake-Alberta, Canada | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Dec 2021 | Mooney M20C | Marana, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Apr 2021 | Mooney M20C | Warwick, New York, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 2020 | Mooney M20C | Lahoma, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 2020 | Mooney M20C | Laconia, New Hampshire, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec 2021 | Cessna 172S | Midland, Virginia, United States | Aviation Adventures | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2021 | American AA5 | Leesburg, Virginia, United States | Aero Elite Flight Training LLC | No injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 2021 | Luscombe 8A | Winchester, Virginia, United States | Metcalfe Robert | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2021 | Piper PA-28-140 | Weyers Cave, Virginia, United States | Djair | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2021 | Turbine Cubs of Wyoming PA-18 SUPER CUB | Dinwiddie, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 2021 | Boeing 737-8H4 | Lexington, Virginia, United States | Southwest Airlines Co | Serious injuries | - |