Mooney M20F incident near Pensacola, Florida, October 6, 1989
On October 6, 1989 at about 10:52 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N52DB, suffered minor damage in an incident near Pensacola, Florida (Pensacola Regional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER RIGGING OF THE LANDING GEAR WHICH RESULTED IN AN OVERLOAD FAILURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 1989 · about 10:52 pm local time
- Place
- Pensacola, Florida · Pensacola Regional · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N52DB · registry record · serial 22-1399
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT, THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR & COMPONENTS OF THE LANDING GEAR WERE REPLACED & THE GEAR RIGGING WAS CHECKED. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN ON SEVERAL LEGS. AFTER GEAR EXTENSION, THE OWNER HEARD A POPPING NOISE, THOUGH THE GEAR EXTENDED NORMALLY. MAINT FACILITY PRESIDENT ADVISED IT WAS NORMAL. THE FLT DEPARTED & EN ROUTE WAS UNEVENTFUL, BUT AFTER EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR, THE SAME NOISE WAS HEARD. AFTER TOUCHDOWN DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. ACFT WAS FERRIED TO A FACILITY FOR REPAIRS. EXAM OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR SUPPORT BRACKET FAILED IN TENSION OVERLOAD.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,033 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 25, 1989; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNC Venice FL at 7:52 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 pm from PNS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N52DB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.