What happened
On 12 August 2010, a Mooney M2/0J, registration D-EKGL, was performing a private flight from Guernsey to Kerry Airport. The flight was being conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) by two pilots, who were members of the same flying club. The flight had included previous overnight stops in France and Germany.
As the aircraft approached Runway 26 at Kerry Airport, the pilot performed a long, straight-in approach. Although the pilot reported completing the landing checklist at 3 nautical miles from the runway, the aircraft touched down with its landing gear still retracted. Upon impact with the runway, the outboard sections of the propeller blades disintegrated. The aircraft continued along the centerline before coming to a halt. The two occupants evacuated the aircraft immediately; there were no injuries and no fire was reported.
The investigation
Investigators from the AAIU examined the aircraft and the runway surface, noting scrape marks where the aircraft had settled. The inspection revealed significant damage to the underside of the fuselage and the propeller. While the landing gear lever was found in the 'down' position, the gear itself remained fully retracted, and the visual indicators showed a red/white decal signifying an unsafe state.
Testing of the aircraft's systems revealed that the landing gear extension and retraction mechanisms were fully functional. However, the investigation identified that the landing gear warning system was unserviceable. Specifically, a wiring terminal had become detached from a microswitch, creating an open circuit. Furthermore, the aural warning horn itself was found to be inoperative. Because the aircraft uses a shared horn for both the landing gear and the stall warning, the stall warning system was also non-functional.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the landing gear was not extended prior to landing.
- The pilot did not verify the gear position using the landing gear condition lights or the gear position indicator during the approach.
- The landing gear warning system failed to alert the crew because of a disconnected wiring terminal and a faulty warning horn.
- The lack of a functional landing gear warning meant the error was not detected during the approach phase.