Mooney successfully belly's in

A Mooney pilot had to belly in his airplane Saturday at Lebanon
airport here in NH. All I know is from the newspaper's story. He had
flown up from Massachusetts and apparently was attempting to land at
Waitsfield airport, which is squeezed in between ridges in Vermont's
Green Mountains. I've flown by Waitsfield, it's a single runway
airfield where glider operations are popular during the summer months.
The two ridges form a deep valley and the airfield sits right between
them.

Saturday was an extremely windy day after the passage of a cold front
on Friday night, with winds generally from the northwest. Since the
mountainline in this area (if I'm remembering correctly) generally
runs from from southwest to northeast, this means that the winds would
be blowing over the peaks and then down the windward slope into the
valley.

The pilot reported that while he was flaring to touchdown, a gust
slammed him onto the runway damaging his landing gear. I gather that
he knew right away that the landing gear was damaged. He did not
attempt to continue the landing at Waitsfield.

He flew from Waitsfield to Lebanon and did several fly-by's while
attempting to lower the gear. Only one main lowered, which was
confirmed by the tower. Unable to lower both mains, the pilot elected
to retract the gear and land on his belly.

The landing was uneventful, although the three bladed prop was bent
back on all tips and there must have been damage to the belly.

The pilot, who was alone, was not hurt in the landing.

Corky Scott

wrote in message
...
A Mooney pilot had to belly in his airplane Saturday at Lebanon
airport here in NH.

SNIP


The pilot, who was alone, was not hurt in the landing.

Corky Scott



Good on him/her for thinking it through and making a safe, emergency
landing.

Glad no one was hurt.

Jay B in AZ

I saw that in the Valley News yesterday. I hate to see a broken plane,
but was glad he walked away. A couple of thoughts crossed my mind:

1) Why didn't he go to BTV? Closer to Sugarbush, much longer runway
(with the wind blowing down it if it was from the Northeast). Military
crash units on the field (I presume).

2) Why didn't he shut down the engine prior to landing?

I'm not trying to be critical. I do recognize that I'm making these
observations from the comfort of my desk, not from a cockpit where I was
just slammed into the ground hard enough to break my landing gear.

wrote:
A Mooney pilot had to belly in his airplane Saturday at Lebanon
airport here in NH. All I know is from the newspaper's story. He had
flown up from Massachusetts and apparently was attempting to land at
Waitsfield airport, which is squeezed in between ridges in Vermont's
Green Mountains. I've flown by Waitsfield, it's a single runway
airfield where glider operations are popular during the summer months.
The two ridges form a deep valley and the airfield sits right between
them.

Saturday was an extremely windy day after the passage of a cold front
on Friday night, with winds generally from the northwest. Since the
mountainline in this area (if I'm remembering correctly) generally
runs from from southwest to northeast, this means that the winds would
be blowing over the peaks and then down the windward slope into the
valley.

The pilot reported that while he was flaring to touchdown, a gust
slammed him onto the runway damaging his landing gear. I gather that
he knew right away that the landing gear was damaged. He did not
attempt to continue the landing at Waitsfield.

He flew from Waitsfield to Lebanon and did several fly-by's while
attempting to lower the gear. Only one main lowered, which was
confirmed by the tower. Unable to lower both mains, the pilot elected
to retract the gear and land on his belly.

The landing was uneventful, although the three bladed prop was bent
back on all tips and there must have been damage to the belly.

The pilot, who was alone, was not hurt in the landing.

Corky Scott




--
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2) Why didn't he shut down the engine prior to landing?

If the gear fails to extend, I'd say it's the insurance company's plane at
that point. It's been brought up before, and the main argument is that you
want to leave the engine running in case you need to go-around.

--
Ben
C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y

Fair enough.

Ben Smith wrote:
2) Why didn't he shut down the engine prior to landing?


If the gear fails to extend, I'd say it's the insurance company's plane at
that point. It's been brought up before, and the main argument is that you
want to leave the engine running in case you need to go-around.



--
Remove "2PLANES" to reply.

wrote:

The pilot reported that while he was flaring to touchdown, a gust
slammed him onto the runway damaging his landing gear.

He flew from Waitsfield to Lebanon and did several fly-by's while
attempting to lower the gear. Only one main lowered, which was
confirmed by the tower. Unable to lower both mains, the pilot elected
to retract the gear and land on his belly.

I sort of wondered why the gear was raised after it was
damaged in the first landing attempt. Was climb rate too
anemic gear down?

Todd Pattist
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)
___
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Share what you learn.

"Ben Smith" wrote in message
...
2) Why didn't he shut down the engine prior to landing?

If the gear fails to extend, I'd say it's the insurance company's plane at
that point. It's been brought up before, and the main argument is that
you
want to leave the engine running in case you need to go-around.

Also, since it was a 3-bladed prop, at least one blade will
get bent and the engine will need rebuilding no matter where
it stops.

wrote in message
...
Saturday was an extremely windy day after the passage of a cold front
on Friday night, with winds generally from the northwest.

Ah, yes. On saturday I flew to East Hampton and it was indeed very windy.
A few seconds after I touched down a very strong gust gave the plane enough
lift to get it 10-20 feet into the air, which my passengers did not like one
little bit. Fortunately, on the go-around there was not another gust.
Perhaps such days are better for training than flying family around.

If only one main comes down there is something seriously wrong and
probably no chance of getting the other down. The gear all work off
the same motor and are geared together. If one doesn't come down its
because the linkage is broken.
I've heard of cases where a Mooney was bellied in with the prop
stopped and the flaps up and the only repair was to replace the belly
pans.
There is no stronger plane than a Mooney. That steal tube structure
can take an incredible amount of punishment.

-Robert


wrote in message . ..
A Mooney pilot had to belly in his airplane Saturday at Lebanon
airport here in NH. All I know is from the newspaper's story. He had
flown up from Massachusetts and apparently was attempting to land at
Waitsfield airport, which is squeezed in between ridges in Vermont's
Green Mountains. I've flown by Waitsfield, it's a single runway
airfield where glider operations are popular during the summer months.
The two ridges form a deep valley and the airfield sits right between
them.

Saturday was an extremely windy day after the passage of a cold front
on Friday night, with winds generally from the northwest. Since the
mountainline in this area (if I'm remembering correctly) generally
runs from from southwest to northeast, this means that the winds would
be blowing over the peaks and then down the windward slope into the
valley.

The pilot reported that while he was flaring to touchdown, a gust
slammed him onto the runway damaging his landing gear. I gather that
he knew right away that the landing gear was damaged. He did not
attempt to continue the landing at Waitsfield.

He flew from Waitsfield to Lebanon and did several fly-by's while
attempting to lower the gear. Only one main lowered, which was
confirmed by the tower. Unable to lower both mains, the pilot elected
to retract the gear and land on his belly.

The landing was uneventful, although the three bladed prop was bent
back on all tips and there must have been damage to the belly.

The pilot, who was alone, was not hurt in the landing.

Corky Scott

shutting down the engine will not necessarily stop the prop from spinning..
need to almost stall the aircraft to do that in some aircraft.. not a good
thing when your trying to belly it in on a windy day... and if the prop
don't stop.. it's an engine tear down anyway..

BT

"Dan Truesdell" wrote in message
...
I saw that in the Valley News yesterday. I hate to see a broken plane,
but was glad he walked away. A couple of thoughts crossed my mind:

1) Why didn't he go to BTV? Closer to Sugarbush, much longer runway
(with the wind blowing down it if it was from the Northeast). Military
crash units on the field (I presume).

2) Why didn't he shut down the engine prior to landing?

I'm not trying to be critical. I do recognize that I'm making these
observations from the comfort of my desk, not from a cockpit where I was
just slammed into the ground hard enough to break my landing gear.

wrote:
A Mooney pilot had to belly in his airplane Saturday at Lebanon
airport here in NH. All I know is from the newspaper's story. He had
flown up from Massachusetts and apparently was attempting to land at
Waitsfield airport, which is squeezed in between ridges in Vermont's
Green Mountains. I've flown by Waitsfield, it's a single runway
airfield where glider operations are popular during the summer months.
The two ridges form a deep valley and the airfield sits right between
them.

Saturday was an extremely windy day after the passage of a cold front
on Friday night, with winds generally from the northwest. Since the
mountainline in this area (if I'm remembering correctly) generally
runs from from southwest to northeast, this means that the winds would
be blowing over the peaks and then down the windward slope into the
valley.

The pilot reported that while he was flaring to touchdown, a gust
slammed him onto the runway damaging his landing gear. I gather that
he knew right away that the landing gear was damaged. He did not
attempt to continue the landing at Waitsfield.

He flew from Waitsfield to Lebanon and did several fly-by's while
attempting to lower the gear. Only one main lowered, which was
confirmed by the tower. Unable to lower both mains, the pilot elected
to retract the gear and land on his belly.

The landing was uneventful, although the three bladed prop was bent
back on all tips and there must have been damage to the belly.

The pilot, who was alone, was not hurt in the landing.

Corky Scott




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