What happened
The incident occurred during an arrival phase at dusk, when visibility was diminishing. The pilot initiated the procedure to lower the landing gear but did not observe a green light indicating that the gear had fully extended. Believing the gear might be in transition or stuck, the pilot cycled the landing gear mechanism multiple times without success.
After several failed attempts to extend the gear using normal electrical systems, the pilot engaged the emergency gear extension system. The pilot reported releasing the electric gear motor and then pulling the telescopic emergency arm rearward. This action was incorrect; the emergency arm is designed to be pushed forward to mechanically unlock and lower the gear. Because the arm was pulled in the wrong direction, the gear remained retracted.
Additionally, an investigation into the aircraft's electrical system revealed a design characteristic that likely contributed to the confusion. When the navigation lights were activated, the green gear-down and amber gear-up indicator lights automatically dimmed. This dimming made it difficult for the pilot to visually confirm the status of the landing gear during the low-light conditions of dusk.
The investigation
Upon landing, the aircraft's landing gear collapsed due to being in the retracted position. The impact caused a fire that completely destroyed the aircraft. Investigators examined the airframe and mechanical components post-accident. No pre-accident part failures or malfunctions were found in the landing gear system or its associated mechanisms.
Findings
The primary factor was the pilot's incorrect operation of the emergency gear extension handle. By pulling the telescopic arm rearward instead of pushing it forward, the pilot failed to mechanically lower the gear. The dimming of the indicator lights when navigation lights were on further obscured the gear status from the pilot. These factors combined resulted in a gear-up landing and subsequent destruction of the aircraft.