Narrative:

I was given permission to take a mooney 231 on a test flight following maintenance action which had been completed shortly prior. Aircraft was taxied out and received a thorough walkaround, start, taxi and before takeoff check. The aircraft had just had the cylinders removed, inspected and installed with a new tri-blade mccauley propeller installed. Careful attention was paid to things such as oil and gas leaks, oil pressure, manifold pressure and any unusual noises or vibrations throughout the preflight inspection. A normal takeoff, short cruise above pattern altitude flight, crosswind and downwind components were completed with an after takeoff and cruise chklst completed. There was normal ATC communications during the entire sequence as well. The flight conditions experienced were continuous light chop due to gusty winds and in the normal pattern at an approach confign while checking for any unusual engine performance or indications of such by the various monitoring instruments. I continued the pattern, completing a landing checklist and slowing the aircraft to the recommended landing speed with flaps extended. At approximately 1000 ft inside the runway, I had noticed the aircraft was sinking below normal standards so my corrective action was to commence a go around fearing the landing gear had not extended. After the initial application of power, the tower facility had advised me to execute a go around as well. Later I confirmed my landing gear was not down. During the go around I confirmed the landing gear was not extended as the lever was still in an up position. In this particular model, it only has a lighted gear down light which is not too easy to see during the day as compared to many other aircraft which have the 3 green lights to indicate landing gears are extended. The rest of the traffic pattern was uneventful with an exception of the gear warning horn which did not activate on the first approach either. After landing, I taxied the plane on the ramp and completed a post flight inspection to discover that the propeller blades had been struck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT TESTING A MOONEY 231, MODEL M20K, STRUCK THE PROP DURING A GEAR UP LNDG GAR.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO TAKE A MOONEY 231 ON A TEST FLT FOLLOWING MAINT ACTION WHICH HAD BEEN COMPLETED SHORTLY PRIOR. ACFT WAS TAXIED OUT AND RECEIVED A THOROUGH WALKAROUND, START, TAXI AND BEFORE TKOF CHK. THE ACFT HAD JUST HAD THE CYLINDERS REMOVED, INSPECTED AND INSTALLED WITH A NEW TRI-BLADE MCCAULEY PROP INSTALLED. CAREFUL ATTN WAS PAID TO THINGS SUCH AS OIL AND GAS LEAKS, OIL PRESSURE, MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND ANY UNUSUAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PREFLT INSPECTION. A NORMAL TKOF, SHORT CRUISE ABOVE PATTERN ALT FLT, XWIND AND DOWNWIND COMPONENTS WERE COMPLETED WITH AN AFTER TKOF AND CRUISE CHKLST COMPLETED. THERE WAS NORMAL ATC COMS DURING THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE AS WELL. THE FLT CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED WERE CONTINUOUS LIGHT CHOP DUE TO GUSTY WINDS AND IN THE NORMAL PATTERN AT AN APCH CONFIGN WHILE CHKING FOR ANY UNUSUAL ENG PERFORMANCE OR INDICATIONS OF SUCH BY THE VARIOUS MONITORING INSTS. I CONTINUED THE PATTERN, COMPLETING A LNDG CHKLIST AND SLOWING THE ACFT TO THE RECOMMENDED LNDG SPD WITH FLAPS EXTENDED. AT APPROX 1000 FT INSIDE THE RWY, I HAD NOTICED THE ACFT WAS SINKING BELOW NORMAL STANDARDS SO MY CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TO COMMENCE A GAR FEARING THE LNDG GEAR HAD NOT EXTENDED. AFTER THE INITIAL APPLICATION OF PWR, THE TWR FACILITY HAD ADVISED ME TO EXECUTE A GAR AS WELL. LATER I CONFIRMED MY LNDG GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. DURING THE GAR I CONFIRMED THE LNDG GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED AS THE LEVER WAS STILL IN AN UP POS. IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, IT ONLY HAS A LIGHTED GEAR DOWN LIGHT WHICH IS NOT TOO EASY TO SEE DURING THE DAY AS COMPARED TO MANY OTHER ACFT WHICH HAVE THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS TO INDICATE LNDG GEARS ARE EXTENDED. THE REST OF THE TFC PATTERN WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH AN EXCEPTION OF THE GEAR WARNING HORN WHICH DID NOT ACTIVATE ON THE FIRST APCH EITHER. AFTER LNDG, I TAXIED THE PLANE ON THE RAMP AND COMPLETED A POST FLT INSPECTION TO DISCOVER THAT THE PROP BLADES HAD BEEN STRUCK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.