What happened
The accident occurred while the aircraft was conducting a roundout for landing. During this phase, the pilot realized that the landing gear had not been extended. In response, the pilot pitched the nose up to initiate a go-around procedure.
Shortly after beginning the climb, the pilot noticed indications of an impending stall. Full power was applied in an attempt to recover, but the descent could not be arrested. The airplane subsequently collided with the terrain approximately one-quarter mile beyond the runway threshold. At the time of impact, the aircraft was in a right bank and a nose-low attitude.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the loss of control. Examination of the flight data and pilot report confirmed that the gear extension failure was the initial trigger for the go-around attempt. The subsequent stall was attributed to the aircraft's inability to maintain sufficient airspeed during the low-altitude climb-out with the gear retracted or in an intermediate position, depending on the specific mechanical state at the time of realization.
Findings
Several critical factors contributed to this accident:
- Failure to extend landing gear prior to final approach
- Stall during go-around due to insufficient airspeed and altitude
- Inability to recover from the stall before terrain impact
- Collision with terrain in a nose-low, right-banked attitude
The primary causal factor was the pilot's loss of control following the realization that the gear was not down. The decision to pitch up for a go-around at low altitude and airspeed likely contributed to the aerodynamic stall.
Safety message
Pilots should ensure that landing gear is fully extended and locked before committing to final approach. If a gear extension failure occurs, pilots must carefully evaluate the option of a go-around versus a belly landing, considering available altitude and airspeed. Go-arounds at low altitude with configuration changes require precise energy management to avoid stalls.