Mooney M20 N651RK accident near Oxford, Connecticut

Probable cause

The seizure of the right main landing gear extension rod bearing and subsequent buckling of the rod, resulting in a landing gear collapse.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was attempting the third landing on a training flight with his instructor. The airplane touched down normally with no crab or slip and the wind was calm. Shortly after touchdown, he heard a loud noise, and the right wing slowly lowered to the runway and scraped the surface. The airplane departed the runway to the right and came to a stop in the grass. The right main and nose landing gear collapsed; the left main gear remained extended. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged during the accident. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed the forward end bearing on the right main landing gear extension rod was seized, and the rod was bent about 30°. Also, the rod ends on the two nose landing gear extension rods had been pulled out and the shear pins were sheared. Damage to the airplane prevented a functional test of the landing gear.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA377 for the full record.