No fatalities

27 Mar 2020: Aero Commander 500 B — Central Airlines Inc — Opalocka, FL

Opalocka, FL, United States

On 27 Mar 2020, an Aero Commander 500 B operated by Central Airlines Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Opalocka, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear due to distraction and his delayed go-around, which allowed the airplane to get too low and contact the runway with the landing gear retracted. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a landing flare, a landing gear warning horn prompted a go-around. Later, substantial damage was found on the lower fuselage and marker beacon antenna, consistent with ground contact.

Flight and Go-Around

A commercial pilot completed an uneventful flight and approached the runway for landing. During the landing flare, the airplane's landing gear warning horn activated, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around. While climbing to traffic pattern altitude, the pilot noticed that the landing gear handle was in the up position. The pilot did not hear or feel the airplane contact the runway during the approach.

Subsequent Landing and Damage Discovery

The pilot landed and departed without incident. However, after landing at another airport, a more thorough post-flight inspection was performed. The inspection revealed that the marker beacon antenna was shaved off and the lower fuselage had sustained substantial damage consistent with ground contact.

Contributing factors

PilotConfiguration — Not attained/maintained