What happened
The pilot was conducting touch-and-go landing operations at Melbourne when he lowered the landing gear handle but did not visually or instrumentally verify that the gear had extended and locked. He continued the approach without confirming the gear position and subsequently landed with the landing gear retracted.
After the incident, the pilot observed that the circuit breaker for the landing gear pump had tripped. A post-incident check of the landing gear system revealed that the mechanism functioned normally when manually tested, indicating the initial failure was likely an electrical trip rather than a mechanical jam.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the gear-up landing and the subsequent inspection of the aircraft systems. The pilot's admission that he did not check the gear position after lowering the handle was a key factor. The post-incident retraction check confirmed the mechanical integrity of the gear system.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this incident was the pilot's failure to verify the landing gear position before touchdown. This oversight occurred despite the presence of a warning indication, as evidenced by the tripped circuit breaker. The pilot's reliance on the handle position alone, without cross-checking indicators, led to the unsafe landing.
Safety message
Pilots must always verify landing gear extension using multiple sources (visual, mechanical, or electrical indications) before landing, especially during high-workload phases like touch-and-go operations. Ignoring warning indications such as tripped circuit breakers can lead to serious consequences.