On 22 Oct 2009, a Piper PA-44-180 operated by UND Aerospace Foundation was involved in an aviation accident near Grand Forks, ND. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's distraction and failure to ensure the landing gear was extended before landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During an instructional flight, the flight instructor became distracted and forgot to extend the landing gear, resulting in a gear-up landing that damaged fuselage structural components.
Accident Summary
An instructional flight practicing landings ended in a gear-up landing after the flight instructor became distracted while teaching the student. The instructor reported that he forgot to ensure the landing gear was extended before touchdown. The landing gear warning horn was sounding prior to landing, but the instructor did not realize the gear was not configured until it was too late.
Investigation Findings
A post-accident inspection revealed that several fuselage structural components were damaged during the gear-up landing. The flight instructor stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Probable cause
The flight instructor's distraction and failure to ensure the landing gear was extended before landing.