Mooney M20C accident near Farmington, Missouri, July 27, 2022
On July 27, 2022 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1964 Mooney M20C, registered N21007, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Farmington, Missouri (Farmington Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the landing gear during landing for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2022 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, Missouri · Farmington Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C, built 1964 · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N21007 · no longer on the register · serial 2894
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight instructor was conducting a flight review for the pilot. After a normal flight, as the airplane approached its destination, the flight instructor extended the landing gear. He felt the landing gear drop but he did not see a safe landing gear light indication on the instrument panel. He cycled the landing gear 3-4 times and the safe landing gear down light flickered but did not indicate a safe down condition. The flight instructor elected to land the airplane as gently as possible on the runway. During the landing he felt the tires touch the runway, and the landing gear collapsed a few seconds later. The airplane slid on the runway on its belly, which resulted in substantial damage to formers and stringers below the belly skin. When a local mechanic lifted the airplane and lowered the landing gear, the gear down light did not illuminate. The mechanic secured the landing gear with bars and towed the airplane off the runway. A detailed examination of the landing gear system, including the cockpit gear indication, throttle warning horn, and landing gear mechanical linkages did not reveal any failures or abnormalities that could have contributed to the gear collapse. The entire landing gear system performed correctly, and no faults were discovered. The flight instructor’s report of a landing gear light malfunction could not be duplicated. A review of the airframe logbook entries did not reveal any discrepancies or uncorrected defects with the landing gear system.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,600 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 11, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 444 hours in all; 352 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 26, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,447 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2022
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8WC Potosi MO at 1:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,222 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from KFAM
Weather report (METAR): KFAM 271356Z AUTO 25004KT 10SM OVC110 23/20 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP164 T02280200
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 31, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN22LA392 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record Examination Findings of Landing Gear CEN22LA392 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for the Record Airframe Logbook Entries Review CEN22LA392 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs CEN22LA392 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.