NTSB FTW86FPA05 — 1985-11-08 · GLADEWATER, Texas, United States

Current FAA registration · N201QW

Make / Model: MOONEY M20J
Engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19770625
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A1972D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N201QW Mooney MK20J Minor

Factual narrative

DURING TAKEOFF THE HEADSET WIRING BECAME TANGLED IN THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE WHICH HAD BEEN ACCIDENTLY ACTIVATED. THEN THE NORMAL GEAR HANDLE WAS PUT IN THE UP POSITION, THE EMERGENCY GEAR CRANK ROTATED PULLING ON THE HEADSET AND THE EMERGENCY GEAR HANDLE BEAT ON THE PILOT'S LEFT LEG. THE STARTLED PLT REDUCED PWR AND EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING SHORT OF THE RWY WITH THE GEAR IN TRANSIT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_FTW86FPA05.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.