What happened
During the approach for landing, the pilot lowered the aircraft's landing gear but did not receive the expected green down-lock indication. Concerned about the status of the gear, the pilot performed a fly-by to allow ground personnel to visually inspect the configuration. The observers confirmed that the landing gear appeared to be in the down position.
Despite the visual confirmation, the pilot did not properly operate the emergency extension system to ensure mechanical locking of the gear. When the aircraft touched down, the landing gear collapsed under the weight and impact forces.
The investigation
A post-accident ground check was conducted on both the normal and emergency landing gear systems. The inspection revealed that the gear operated successfully during these tests. However, it was noted that the gear did not lock down on the first attempt using the normal system, suggesting a potential mechanical inconsistency or user error in the initial operation.
Findings
The aircraft was found to be overdue for its required annual inspection at the time of the accident. The owner stated that he had not authorized this specific flight but had intended for the pilot to ferry the aircraft for an annual inspection after obtaining a ferry permit. The primary failure was the improper operation of the emergency system by the pilot, who relied on visual confirmation rather than mechanical verification.