According to the pilot, after completing the maintenance test flight on the Beech 58, he established a normal approach to the runway at the airport in Huntsville, Alabama.
However, he reported that he did not extend the landing gear prior to touchdown and the airplane landed with the landing gear retracted.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, left aileron and the bottom of the fuselage.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown, resulting in a landing with the landing gear retracted and consequent substantial damage.
NTSB Identification: GAA16CA161
This March 2016 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.
As a pilot myself. You have a checklist to follow. Never rely memory. If he had used his landing checklist he would have known to lower the gear. Lesson learned. Use the checklist.
So gbigs, you think forgetting to put the gear down is for lower time pilots, well I have news for you…..Not so. It happens with pilots with all kind of hours. That’s like say only lower time pilots cause all the accidents. First of all GA pilots are all mostly lower time pilots.
Professional pilots, ie. Airline type pilots fly , usually the maximum hours allowed, which is 1000 per year. No GA pilots flys nearly that much.
For the most part I can agree…..however, GA is considered to be any aviation activity that is not Airlines or Military. There are a lot of us who made a good living flying GA aircraft. I retired in December from 48 years and 27,800 hrs, mostly flying heavy lift helicopters. Several years included flight time exceeding 1000 hrs. There are professional pilots in GA, also and yes they also make mistakes.
It hurts to read about a gear up landing with my favorite airplane model. I agree with all of the comments so far, but this is a twin and going fixed gear would not be a practical option like going to a Cirrus in place of a Mooney or an Arrow.
I just read this article to my wife. She really is starting to understand why I am selling the Mooney and why I enjoy that little RV-3 so much.
Right on!
I’m so happy you are enjoying to Red Rocket!
Stan
I’m with you, Glenn. For the few MPH / KTs gained, the increased cost to insure and maintain a retract airplane just isn’t worth it to me. And IF you land it gear up and it survives, now you have an airplane with a damage history, too. I watch Cirrus’ cruising around the Country on Flight Aware and they’re just about as fast without the fear of a gear up incident.
And then there’s that infamous gear problem at St Augustine where a Piper R main wouldn’t come down and some fearless guy is trying to pull it down from the sun roof of a BMW. It DID come down but imagine what the landing woulda looked like had it not.
Perfect example why retractable gear aircraft cost far more to insure and far more to get insured for lower time pilots.