Narrative:

I was involved in an aircraft incident at ZZZ airport. The landing gear collapsed on the mooney M20C. We had an uneventful landing on runway 32; rolled past the crossing runway 20 and at approximately 2/3 the way down runway 32 at a speed of approximately 15 or 20 mph; the gear collapsed. Our forward motion (skid) was minimal; not more than 10 ft and more likely 2 or 3 ft. The pilot and aircraft owner was night current and well qualified with approximately 500 hours total flying time and more than 70 hours in this specific aircraft; of which at least 25 hours was dual instruction. I was in the right seat and am a cfii with more than 3000 hours total flying time and 1500 hours as flight instructor and approximately 30 hours in this make and model over the last 3 yrs. I have a strong familiarity with this type of aircraft. After a well executed landing; the landing gear simply collapsed with no warning about 2/3 the way down a 5000 ft runway. It seemed like it only took 2 seconds. The collapse was mild physically; but noisy even though we were wearing headsets. There was no stress against our shoulder harnesses nor any significant downward force -- just noise and settling. I really didn't get any sensation of forward skid. We immediately closed the switches and exited the aircraft. It was very dark outside; but with flashlights we could see no sign of gas leaks. An aircraft was circling to land so we put on the strobes so he could see our plane. We were about 4000 ft down the runway; about 4 ft to the right of the centerline. We tried without success to call the tower on the aircraft radio to have them close the airport. Quickly; we realized that our antennas were probably wiped out. We were going for our handheld radio when the pilot who landed before us ran up to see if we were alright. When he found out we were fine; he volunteered to go back to his aircraft and make the calls to close the airport. In rapid succession; the police and then the fire trucks and emergency technician arrived. It was comforting to know how prompt and professional they were if we had needed them. Fortunately; the only problem was the aircraft damage and removing it from the runway. With regard to the aircraft; it was obviously resting on its belly so we knew that the antennas were gone; but we really couldn't see any damage until the next afternoon when it had been hoisted onto its gear and placed in a hangar. An airport commissioner took pictures at the scene. I have not seen them; but my observations were: 1) flaps were fully extended; but no damage to them. 2) propeller blades bent approximately three inches. 3) johnson bar not locked in either vertical position nor horizontal position; however positioned approximately four inches up from horizontal. The next day in the hangar I observed minimal damage to the belly. My guess is that it probably skidded a couple of feet. Frankly; I do not remember seeing the gear down green light during touchdown or rollout. However; it is located to the upper left of the pilot and difficult to see from the right seat unless you make the effort to lean left. The pilot did accomplish a gumps check earlier at the key position downwind and I do remember observing the green light at that time. I strongly recommend replacing the down lock block that holds the johnson bar in the vertical position. I believe it to be a good and strong design; but it has forty years of wear and to me it is the most likely reason the johnson bar released.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN M20C ON LNDG ROLLOUT AT APPROX 15-20 MPH THE LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED. INCURRED ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACFT INCIDENT AT ZZZ ARPT. THE LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED ON THE MOONEY M20C. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 32; ROLLED PAST THE XING RWY 20 AND AT APPROX 2/3 THE WAY DOWN RWY 32 AT A SPD OF APPROX 15 OR 20 MPH; THE GEAR COLLAPSED. OUR FORWARD MOTION (SKID) WAS MINIMAL; NOT MORE THAN 10 FT AND MORE LIKELY 2 OR 3 FT. THE PLT AND ACFT OWNER WAS NIGHT CURRENT AND WELL QUALIFIED WITH APPROX 500 HRS TOTAL FLYING TIME AND MORE THAN 70 HRS IN THIS SPECIFIC ACFT; OF WHICH AT LEAST 25 HRS WAS DUAL INSTRUCTION. I WAS IN THE R SEAT AND AM A CFII WITH MORE THAN 3000 HRS TOTAL FLYING TIME AND 1500 HRS AS FLT INSTRUCTOR AND APPROX 30 HRS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OVER THE LAST 3 YRS. I HAVE A STRONG FAMILIARITY WITH THIS TYPE OF ACFT. AFTER A WELL EXECUTED LNDG; THE LNDG GEAR SIMPLY COLLAPSED WITH NO WARNING ABOUT 2/3 THE WAY DOWN A 5000 FT RWY. IT SEEMED LIKE IT ONLY TOOK 2 SECONDS. THE COLLAPSE WAS MILD PHYSICALLY; BUT NOISY EVEN THOUGH WE WERE WEARING HEADSETS. THERE WAS NO STRESS AGAINST OUR SHOULDER HARNESSES NOR ANY SIGNIFICANT DOWNWARD FORCE -- JUST NOISE AND SETTLING. I REALLY DIDN'T GET ANY SENSATION OF FORWARD SKID. WE IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE SWITCHES AND EXITED THE ACFT. IT WAS VERY DARK OUTSIDE; BUT WITH FLASHLIGHTS WE COULD SEE NO SIGN OF GAS LEAKS. AN ACFT WAS CIRCLING TO LAND SO WE PUT ON THE STROBES SO HE COULD SEE OUR PLANE. WE WERE ABOUT 4000 FT DOWN THE RWY; ABOUT 4 FT TO THE R OF THE CTRLINE. WE TRIED WITHOUT SUCCESS TO CALL THE TWR ON THE ACFT RADIO TO HAVE THEM CLOSE THE ARPT. QUICKLY; WE REALIZED THAT OUR ANTENNAS WERE PROBABLY WIPED OUT. WE WERE GOING FOR OUR HANDHELD RADIO WHEN THE PLT WHO LANDED BEFORE US RAN UP TO SEE IF WE WERE ALRIGHT. WHEN HE FOUND OUT WE WERE FINE; HE VOLUNTEERED TO GO BACK TO HIS ACFT AND MAKE THE CALLS TO CLOSE THE ARPT. IN RAPID SUCCESSION; THE POLICE AND THEN THE FIRE TRUCKS AND EMER TECHNICIAN ARRIVED. IT WAS COMFORTING TO KNOW HOW PROMPT AND PROFESSIONAL THEY WERE IF WE HAD NEEDED THEM. FORTUNATELY; THE ONLY PROB WAS THE ACFT DAMAGE AND REMOVING IT FROM THE RWY. WITH REGARD TO THE ACFT; IT WAS OBVIOUSLY RESTING ON ITS BELLY SO WE KNEW THAT THE ANTENNAS WERE GONE; BUT WE REALLY COULDN'T SEE ANY DAMAGE UNTIL THE NEXT AFTERNOON WHEN IT HAD BEEN HOISTED ONTO ITS GEAR AND PLACED IN A HANGAR. AN ARPT COMMISSIONER TOOK PICTURES AT THE SCENE. I HAVE NOT SEEN THEM; BUT MY OBSERVATIONS WERE: 1) FLAPS WERE FULLY EXTENDED; BUT NO DAMAGE TO THEM. 2) PROP BLADES BENT APPROX THREE INCHES. 3) JOHNSON BAR NOT LOCKED IN EITHER VERTICAL POSITION NOR HORIZONTAL POSITION; HOWEVER POSITIONED APPROX FOUR INCHES UP FROM HORIZONTAL. THE NEXT DAY IN THE HANGAR I OBSERVED MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE BELLY. MY GUESS IS THAT IT PROBABLY SKIDDED A COUPLE OF FEET. FRANKLY; I DO NOT REMEMBER SEEING THE GEAR DOWN GREEN LIGHT DURING TOUCHDOWN OR ROLLOUT. HOWEVER; IT IS LOCATED TO THE UPPER LEFT OF THE PLT AND DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE RIGHT SEAT UNLESS YOU MAKE THE EFFORT TO LEAN LEFT. THE PLT DID ACCOMPLISH A GUMPS CHECK EARLIER AT THE KEY POSITION DOWNWIND AND I DO REMEMBER OBSERVING THE GREEN LIGHT AT THAT TIME. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND REPLACING THE DOWN LOCK BLOCK THAT HOLDS THE JOHNSON BAR IN THE VERTICAL POSITION. I BELIEVE IT TO BE A GOOD AND STRONG DESIGN; BUT IT HAS FORTY YEARS OF WEAR AND TO ME IT IS THE MOST LIKELY REASON THE JOHNSON BAR RELEASED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.