On April 29, 1991, a Beech F33A (registration N5585Y) operated by Airline Training Center was involved in an aviation accident near Goodyear, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to notice that the passenger had not extended the landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a flight to assess a passenger's piloting capabilities, the pilot allowed the passenger to control the aircraft. The pilot did not observe that the landing gear was retracted on final approach, leading to a gear-up landing.
Event Description
An operator authorized a pilot to conduct a flight with a passenger for the purpose of evaluating the passenger's potential as a pilot. During the flight, the pilot permitted the passenger to fly the airplane. On final approach to landing, the pilot failed to notice that the passenger had not extended the landing gear. As a result, the airplane touched down with its landing gear retracted.
Post-Event Examination
Following the incident, an examination of the airplane was conducted. The landing gear system and its associated warning system were found to operate normally. No anomalies were detected in their function.
Probable cause
The pilot failed to notice that the passenger had not extended the landing gear.
