On March 6, 2004, a Beech V35B (registration N4010A) was involved in an aviation accident near Bay St. Louis, MS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear during the approach, attributed to distraction by other air traffic. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a practice precision instrument approach, the pilot became distracted by nearby air traffic and failed to lower the landing gear before touchdown.
What happened
The pilot was conducting a practice precision instrument landing when the incident occurred. According to the pilot's statement, his attention was diverted by the presence of two airplanes and two helicopters in the vicinity. This distraction caused him to overlook a critical pre-landing checklist item. Consequently, he did not lower the landing gear before touching down on the runway.
The pilot confirmed that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft or any of its systems prior to the accident. The sequence of events indicates that the failure to extend the landing gear was a direct result of inattention rather than equipment malfunction.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear during the approach, attributed to distraction by other air traffic.
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