On March 14, 1984, a Beech 99 (registration N7994R) operated by Mountain Air Cargo, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Myrtle Beach, SC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to verify the landing gear position before landing, attributed to his misinterpretation of instrument panel glare as the green gear-down indication lights. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot landed with the landing gear retracted after mistaking instrument panel glare for the three green confirmation lights, despite a warning horn sounding.
What happened
The aircraft touched down on the runway with the landing gear fully retracted. Following the touchdown and subsequent stop, the pilot observed that the red indicator light associated with the gear handle was illuminated and the warning horn was active. The pilot later explained that bright sunlight reflecting off the instrument panel created a glare that he interpreted as the three green lights indicating the gear was down and locked.
The investigation
Post-accident ground tests were conducted on the landing gear system. These functional checks confirmed that the landing gear mechanism operated normally and there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gear extension or retraction systems.
Findings
The pilot misinterpreted instrument panel glare as the green gear-down lights due to direct sunlight shining on the panel. The pilot also noted that the gear control circuit breaker was open, although this did not prevent normal function during post-accident testing.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to verify the landing gear position before landing, attributed to his misinterpretation of instrument panel glare as the green gear-down indication lights.