Mooney gear up landing in FL

[wishboneash]

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Pilot-crash-lands-in-St-Augustine/qckfRa3RX0eqIJzlDM1K4w.cspx

Tail# N5808T

[gregwatts]

Seeing that the plane had a 3 blade prop on it, my guess would be that this was not the first incident............but I could be wrong!

[201er]

Funny how they say "landing gear did not deploy" rather than "pilot did not deploy the landing gear" which is far more likely to be the truth, particularly in a Mooney!

[Jeff_S]

Seeing that the plane had a 3 blade prop on it, my guess would be that this was not the first incident............but I could be wrong!

Yes, that's a K model according to the registration so  3-bladed prop isn't unusual. My plane has a 3-bladed prop and it's never had a prop strike.

 

I really like the news story about how the plane "crash landed" but "the pilot is okay."  It must be a slow news day in Florida.

[Shadrach]

Yes, that's a K model according to the registration so  3-bladed prop isn't unusual. My plane has a 3-bladed prop and it's never had a prop strike.

 

I really like the news story about how the plane "crash landed" but "the pilot is okay."  It must be a slow news day in Florida.

 

As far as you know...  

[Jeff_S]

Touché!

[aviatoreb]

Funny how they say "landing gear did not deploy" rather than "pilot did not deploy the landing gear" which is far more likely to be the truth, particularly in a Mooney!

 

About 3 years ago my local friend had a gear collapse on roll out in his M20C.  That looks just like a gear up when you approach an airplane with a bent prop sitting on its belly in the middle of the runway.  I was there that day to personally submit the NOTAM runway temporarily closed - and to console my depressed but otherwise uninjured friend.  It was a sad sight to see that nice Mooney in such an undignified pose.