Mooney M20E accident near Greensboro, North Carolina, October 7, 1990
On October 7, 1990 at about 11:21 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N9315V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greensboro, North Carolina (Piedmont Triad Int'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE RUBBER/METAL COUPLING IN THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY, WHICH RESULTED IN THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO LOWER AND LOCK THE LANDING GEAR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1990 · about 11:21 pm local time
- Place
- Greensboro, North Carolina · Piedmont Triad Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N9315V · registry record · serial 700008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO GET A DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION ON THE LANDING GEAR. AFTER MANEUVERING THE AIRCRAFT, THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE VISUALLY DOWN, HOWEVER NO DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION WAS SHOWN IN THE COCKPIT. UPON TOUCHDOWN, ALL THREE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A RUBBER/METAL COUPLING IN THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED, DISABLING NORMAL AND ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION CAPABILITY.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 968 hours in all; 104 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 968 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,518 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 1990; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO 360 A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RUQ Salisbury NC at 9:30 pm
- Destination: GSO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 6,380 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from GSO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9315V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL91LA002.