On April 7, 1984, an Aero Commander 560F (registration N6368U) was involved in an aviation accident near Hilton, SC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
The pilot landed the aircraft without extending the landing gear, despite the nose gear down light remaining illuminated throughout the approach and landing sequence.
What happened
The aircraft was landed with the landing gear in the retracted position. During the approach and landing sequence, the nose gear light indicating that the gear was down remained on at all times. This indication had no bearing on the actual extension or retraction of the landing gear system.
The pilot did not report using a checklist to verify the landing gear position before touchdown. Nor did the pilot report attempting to lower the landing gear prior to the final approach.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that the landing gear system was undamaged and functioned normally after the incident. The mechanical components operated as designed, indicating that the failure was not due to a system malfunction but rather procedural non-compliance or oversight by the pilot.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing.