On February 9, 1983, a Piper PA-44-180T (registration N83223) was involved in an aviation accident near Davis, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The instructor became distracted and allowed the student to forget to lower the landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a simulated single-engine emergency practice, a student pilot forgot to extend the landing gear and landed with the gear retracted. The instructor reported becoming distracted and allowing the oversight.
Accident Synopsis
While practicing a simulated single-engine condition, a student pilot turned toward the airport. The instructor (CFI) noted that the student treated the simulated emergency as he would for a loss of power in a single-engine aircraft, turning to the nearest runway, which was downwind. Additionally, the student forgot to extend the landing gear.
Instructor Actions
The CFI was aware of the developing situation but chose to wait until the latter part of the approach to see if the student would realize his mistakes. The instructor reported that he had found this teaching technique successful in the past. However, he became distracted and allowed the student to continue without lowering the landing gear.
Outcome
Subsequently, the student landed with the landing gear retracted. No injuries or damage were reported in the source.
Probable cause
The instructor became distracted and allowed the student to forget to lower the landing gear.