1986-10-31: Fairchild Swearingen SA-226TC (N137WW) — Wings West Airlines, Inc. — Santa Barbara, CA

Casualties unknownSanta Barbara, CA, US

A crew failed to lower the landing gear during a dark night approach, causing the aircraft to slide on its belly and fragmenting the propeller, which injured two passengers.

What happened

The accident occurred on a dark night under CAVU (Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited) weather conditions. The captain directed the first officer, who was acting as the pilot flying, to disarm the landing gear warning horn system by pulling its associated circuit breaker. The first officer complied with this instruction and did not challenge the captain's decision.

During the final approach phase, the first officer issued a command to lower the landing gear but failed to verify that the action had been completed. Simultaneously, the captain forgot to manually lower the gear. As the aircraft touched down, it slid to a stop on its belly. The impact caused the three propeller blades of the right engine to fragment. These fragments punctured the passenger compartment.

Two passengers seated in row 2, directly abeam the plane of rotation for the damaged propeller, were struck by the debris. They sustained serious lacerations to their legs and minor facial lacerations as a result of the incident.

Probable cause

The crew's failure to lower and verify the landing gear position during the final approach, compounded by the first officer's compliance with an unauthorized procedure to disarm the warning system.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001213X34975. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.