This August 2008 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Injuries: None. Location: Bay City, Mich. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land but he did not use the pre-landing checklist, and forgot to deploy the landing gear. The airplane touched down on its belly and slid to a stop. During the recovery of the airplane, the cockpit landing gear control handle was in the down position and no landing gear circuit breakers were tripped. When the master switch was turned on, the landing gear extended and the landing gear position indicator indicated that the landing gear was extended and locked down.
Probable cause: The checklist not followed and the inadvertent wheels up landing by the pilot.
For more information: NTSB.gov
