Mount Isa Qld Gear Up Landing 21 Aug 2025

[FlyingVizsla]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-21/robbie-katter-crashes-plane-for-second-time-at-mount-isa-airport/105676612

 

Robbie Katter MP Mooney landing gear issue - Mount Isa airport

Mr Katter said the crash was caused by pilot error, related to the landing gear of the plane, during a three-day trip through his electorate in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

He had taken off from Normanton, 500 kilometres north of Mount Isa, earlier that day. 

 

 

[Thruster88]

He might have to get a Cirrus.

[Blueadventures]

1 minute ago, Thruster88 said:

He might have to get a Cirrus.

Dad may have to explain the merits of a fixed undercarriage to him, insurance may also.  2nd I think may be wrong.

[facthunter]

Quite a few CASA people have Landed gear up. Most Pilot's have NEVER done it. It's too Noisy, and you can't taxi.   Nev

[onetrack]

This was his first effort, May 14th, 2023. Seems like he might be a bit of a slow learner, I thought doing it once would be enough of a wake-up call.

 

Perhaps he needs a better wife - one who reminds him when he's going to do something wrong. 😄 

 

Qld MP Robbie Katter 'embarrassed' but unhurt in landing gear mishap at Mount Isa Airport - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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The North Queensland MP says "it's just the ego that hurts" after he forgot to put down the landing gear before hitting the runway on Sunday.

 

Edited yesterday at 06:49 AM by onetrack

[rgmwa]

3 minutes ago, onetrack said:

Perhaps he needs a better wife - one who reminds him when he's going to do something wrong. 😄 

 

A checklist would be a lot cheaper.

[Blueadventures]

33 minutes ago, onetrack said:

This was his first effort, May 14th, 2023. Seems like he might be a bit of a slow learner, I thought doing it once would be enough of a wake-up call.

 

Perhaps he needs a better wife - one who reminds him when he's going to do something wrong. 😄 

 

Qld MP Robbie Katter 'embarrassed' but unhurt in landing gear mishap at Mount Isa Airport - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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The North Queensland MP says "it's just the ego that hurts" after he forgot to put down the landing gear before hitting the runway on Sunday.

 

Seems he had the gear down and landed ok, then during taxi inadvertently retracted.  He's a good bloke so will have to get used to copping comments from his mates.

[BurnieM]

I do not know the panel layout of this particular plane but it surprises me the number of critical switches on all type of planes that are not guarded.

 

Edited yesterday at 08:30 AM by BurnieM

[Arron25]

1 hour ago, Blueadventures said:

Seems he had the gear down and landed ok, then during taxi inadvertently retracted.  He's a good bloke so will have to get used to copping comments from his mates.

Had a Bonanza do this here a few years ago ( a high multiple 1000hr pilot)

something to do with the Flap/Gear levers.. and ..no.. no lockout???

[Litespeed]

From memory a Mooney M20 has a big lever that operates the retracts.

It very obvious in its position and I would think hard to forget.

 

Retracting after landing seems rather odd.

[onetrack]

The early M20's up to 1965 had manually retractable undercarriage with a big "Johnson bar" lever. "Johnson bar" comes from locomotive terminology, and is a term used on a wide range of equipment, where you need to pull a big lever.

 

From 1965, Mooney offered electrically activated undercarriage retraction on the M20 as an option. In 1969, the manual retraction system was dropped completely and only electric retraction was offered from then on.

 

VH-TWV was built in 1985 according to the rego details, so it will have electrically-operated undercarriage.

 

If the undercarriage was retracted while taxying, then that's an aircraft fault, because the M20 with electric retraction has an airspeed lockout to prevent retraction on the ground.

[Marty_d]

Wouldn't any retractable system also have a mechanical lock so any load on the gear would prevent retraction?

[skippydiesel]

I thought the anti retract was a something called an "anti squat switch" - simply a switch, activated by the weight of the aircraft on the suspension, that opened the electrical circuit.😈

[facthunter]

Most gear lock down is by the "OVERCENTRE'  mechanism which often uses a spring as well for the Alternate extension Free fall case.. Green means Down and locked. when you select UP the first  action is to unlock the  strut to allow it to fold. I know weight on it makes it harder to retract and sometimes there's a restrictor Pin in the  Gear Lever like  a trigger on a rifle to prevent inadvertent retraction. BEECH but the flap and gear  switches next to each other?????   Robbie needs to be MORE careful what HE touches when he's in a PLANE.  Nev

[Thruster88]

4 hours ago, Marty_d said:

Wouldn't any retractable system also have a mechanical lock so any load on the gear would prevent retraction?

There are many types of retract mechanisms and safetysystems, none are fool proof. The main benefit of RG in low horse power aircraft is to provide work for LAMEs.

[PureCaboose]

I know of a 182RG that retracted the gear then the instructor sayd 'retract flaps' and someone grabbed the wrong lever. Good thing it was a grass strip......

[facthunter]

HI-wing Cessna RG's have a lot of drag during the retract stage. It's part of Knowing THAT Plane. Normally "Gear up" is the FIRST thing you do (unless it's a very long runway).  Nev

[Geoff_H]

On 21/08/2025 at 2:17 PM, Thruster88 said:

He might have to get a Cirrus.

Never!

[Geoff_H]

6 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

I thought the anti retract was a something called an "anti squat switch" - simply a switch, activated by the weight of the aircraft on the suspension, that opened the electrical circuit.😈

Mooneys have an airspeed switch.  An air pressure switch in the pitot line.  I.had to buy one at +$2k.