On August 8, 1999, a Piper PA-601P (registration N9756Q) operated by Robert B. North was involved in an aviation accident near West Dover, VT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: was the diverted attention of the pilot, which resulted in his failure to maintain airspeed, and his failure to lower the landing gear prior to landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot cancelled IFR and flew visually. After a go-around due to loss of visual contact, he forgot to lower the landing gear and failed to maintain airspeed, causing a hard landing from about 50 feet that crushed the lower aft fuselage.
Approach and Go-Around
Approaching his destination airport, the pilot cancelled his IFR clearance and continued visually. When the airplane was approximately 3 to 5 miles from the airport, he lowered the landing gear and wing flaps. At about 2 miles from the runway, he lost visual contact with the runway. He added power to execute a go-around and retracted the wing flaps and landing gear.
Re-acquisition and Landing Attempt
When the airplane was about half a mile from the runway, he re-acquired the runway visually. He reduced power and lowered the flaps, but he forgot to lower the landing gear. Additionally, he failed to maintain adequate airspeed.
Touchdown
The airplane dropped from an altitude of about 50 feet. Upon touchdown, the lower aft fuselage was crushed.