What happened
On October 31, 2025, at approximately 5:00 PM local time, a Piper Seneca II (registration N9528C) performed a gear-up landing on runway 12 at Exuma International Airport in the Bahamas. The aircraft, operating as a general aviation flight, had previously stopped for fuel at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport after departing from Florida.
As the aircraft approached Exuma, the pilot cancelled the flight plan approximately 25 miles from the airport to begin a straight-in final approach. During this phase, the pilot believed they had extended the landing gear and set the flaps to 25 degrees. However, the aircraft struck the runway with its gear retracted, causing the plane to slide approximately 400 feet. There were no injuries to the two occupants on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's configuration and mechanical state prior to impact. Post-accident inspections and photographs revealed that the flaps were actually in the fully retracted position, contrary to the pilot's recollection. While the pilot reported that the landing gear warning horn did not sound, subsequent functional tests of the aircraft's electrical and hydraulic systems confirmed that the landing gear-down lights, the warning horn, and the gear extension mechanism were all fully operational.
Structural inspections identified significant damage to the lower fuselage, the nose gear assembly, and the communication antenna. Both propellers sustained ground-strike damage, including bent blades and rotational scoring, necessitating a mandatory engine inspection due to the sudden stoppage of the engines upon impact.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown.
- The aircraft was not properly configured for landing, as the flaps remained at 0 degrees.
- Potential contributing factors included task interruption during the flight plan cancellation and possible cognitive errors related to fatigue or memory reconstruction.
- The landing gear and warning systems were found to be mechanically and electrically functional, suggesting the error was not due to system malfunction.