The pilot and flight instructor were conducting a flight review in the Beech M35.
On the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at the airport in Osage Beach, Missouri, the pilot reduced the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure, but then inadvertently extended the flaps instead of the landing gear.
While on short final, he increased engine power to ensure that the airplane reached the runway and, as such, the landing gear horn did not sound.
However, when engine power was subsequently reduced to idle before touch down, the pilot then heard the landing gear horn. The airplane landed on the runway with the landing gear retracted.
The airplane came to rest on the runway and sustained substantial damage to the engine keel beam.
Probable Cause: The pilot and flight instructor’s failure to ensure that the landing gear were extended prior to landing.
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This September 2021 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.
Had a Broken Landing Gear on my P-51, luckily did not have to land it, set it down carefully in the Styrofoam Box Packing, will fix later. (1/35 GMP Diecast). Have lots of planes, Dad was in US Army Air Corp. I was a Sheet Metal Mechanic building parts for Jets & also a Prop Mechanic.
As to the “three green” indication, does the M35 have three lights? It has been a long time but I seem to remember Beechcraft not only using plain toggle switches for gear and flaps but also only “up-down” lights, not a light for each gear. The gear/flap switches not having a “flap or wheel” on them was always an issue with new pilots.
I once owned a 1960 C 210 with its complex, Byzantine gear/door system. I had over 600 hours in it before we finally sold it… with both the great system and belly intact… always GUMPS, 3 in the green prior to landing.. .just not that complicated!
I have been a Licensed Aviation Mechanic since 1985, whatever Idiot did this NEEDS his Pilots License REVOKED
I was an a&p mechanic in the late 60s early ’70s at several airports of Northwest Chicago. I kind of got involved and specializing in repairing and rebuilding Rick and damaged aircraft. I had several bonanzas that I repaired for Guerra plantings over the years. The one that had to be most embarrassing for the pilot, is on his very first test flight after I had repaired his gear up landing damage, on his very first landing. He did a gear up landing again.
No sir, it’s “those who have and those who have not”. I say check list out loud before the IAF, and then at the FAF. If there is an instructor teaching, then it’s his fault.
When I saw the headline, my first thought was a Beechcraft Bonanza.
I’m confused. If it was an engine out practice approach and it was not working out (short of the intended touch down zone), I believe a go around was warranted not an undiscussed increase of power by a second pilot. Who was the PIC? That conversation should have occurred and been understood by both pilots onboard.
And what was the purpose of the flight instructor being there??
Nothing ruins an otherwise great flight better than a gear up landing.
checklists? GUMPS?
Those who have and those who will.
“Those who have and those who will” is a cute old saying that doesn’t hold water.
I know many many pilots who have been flying retracts for decades and have never had a gear up.
I for one have owned 3 Bonanzas just shy of 1,000 hours in type and have never had a gear up.
How? Check the gear NUMEROUS times.
1. BEFORE entering the 45, put the gear down and confirm it’s down. After confirmation, this will give you time to effectively do other chores like scanning for traffic, setting power and prop, talking with ATC, etc.
2. Confirm the gear is down after coming out of the 45 and turning downwind.
3, After adding partial flaps prior to turning base, confirm the gear is down.
4. On base, confirm the gear is down.
5. On final and after final flap selection, be sure the power is pulled back to the manifold pressure that will activate the gear up horn (you should have this memorized), confirm again the gear is down by looking for the gear down lights and or mechanical indicators while verbally announcing “gear down” whether you have company or not.
Most importantly, always do a GUMPS/checklist check and ask your passenger(s) to shut up BEFORE entering the 45 and all the way to shut down.
Set up a similar working procedure that you feel comfortable with for IFR approaches.
Don’t take comfort and be complacent in assuming your instructor is there to bail you out. Instructors are fallible human beings.
Somehow I bet both pilots would agree with you, Nate. As do I. But here we are. I don’t think I would ever forget the gear either. Still…
Very commendable, but I’ve gotta agree with Wilbur’s next to last paragraph———all these actions could have been obviated if, in any retrac and/or CSU ship, one check on short final only ‘ 3 greens , props full forward ‘ had been made .
Reading all of the NTSB reports from the links given, the Pilot in the left seat was getting a BFR. So he and the CFI/ATP briefed what would be done for this BFR.
The reports do not show how many hours the left seat pilot had in type. But, his familiarity with this plane had him NOT using flaps for an engine out with a runway over 2000(?) feet. In doing his procedure for this situation and landing, he inadvertently grabbed the Flaps handle (something I read about in Beechcraft planes that people confuse the two from time to time). The ATP/CFI in the right seat probably saw the movement and figured the pilot had put down the gear.
Because the pilot heard the motor running to extend the flaps, and felt the drag — he thought he had put the gear down.
The CFI saw the left seat pilot handing the situation, heard a motor running and felt the drag while he was clearing the area for birds in preparation for getting to final.
This was an expectation bias on the part of both pilots — that it was the gear motor.
Short of the threshold a last check for 3 green should have been done. And that is what they missed because, in my opinion, they had expectation bias that the gear was extended.
So yes, doing that last config verification for the green lights was missed.
Do your landing checklist on downwind or prior to the final approach fix
Then at 500 feet check and verify 3 green.
100%! First retractable I flew and solo’d in was a Harvard. The owner said, check the gear down as you roll final, again at 500′ and over the numbers before you go to idle. I’ve done that for 24yrs in the air force and 24 yrs with a major airline. Retired with NO gear up landings.