The truth is pilots can adopt procedures that, if followed, would prevent most gear-up events. We should, too. Fewer insurance claims result in lower insurance costs. Fewer gear-ups also means fewer runway closures. Everybody wins.
aviation accidents
Pilot dies after crashing his new Searey
The pilot’s loss of airplane control while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in a collision with a house.
Vapor lock leads to forced landing
The pilot reported that he was about halfway home when the power loss occurred.
Control stick breaks during takeoff
An in-flight separation of the control stick from the torque tube assembly, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll and subsequent on-ground collision.
Student pilot seriously injured during first lesson
The flight instructor’s improper decision to direct the student pilot to exit the airplane with the engine running, which resulted in serious injury when the student walked into the propeller arc.
Human Factors: Sometimes it’s the little things
Post-maintenance is the time to preflight like your life depends on it — because it does as shown in this accident where a veteran pilot is killed in a crash when the trim tabs on his Piper PA-31 are installed incorrectly after the plane’s annual.
SR20 pilot forgets to remove pitot tube cover
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot to perform an adequate preflight inspection, to include removal of the pitot tube cover.
Cessna 182 crashes after encounter with mountain wave
An encounter with mountain wave turbulence and windshear that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane and resulted in impact with terrain.
Post-maintenance flight check ends in crash
The pilot’s inability to extend the main landing gear due to incomplete maintenance, which resulted in a partial wheels-up landing and the mechanic’s failure to follow proper maintenance procedures that led to the loss of main landing gear system hydraulic pressure and the subsequent failure of the main landing gear to fully extend.