Incident Overview
On August 6, 2003, at approximately 12:50 local time, a privately operated Cessna 310R with registration EC-DAA arrived at Almería Airport from Muchamiel (Alicante). The aircraft was equipped with two Continental IO-520-M engines and carried one pilot and three passengers. Weather conditions were clear with good visibility.
Accident Sequence
During the final approach, the flight appeared stable to air traffic controllers and ground witnesses. However, upon touchdown, it became apparent that the landing gear had not been deployed. The aircraft skidded along the runway centerline for approximately 50 meters before coming to a complete stop. The pilot reported that the green 'gear down' lights were illuminated prior to landing, but the gear failed to extend. Ground witnesses confirmed they saw the underside of the fuselage and no wheels during the final approach.
Damage and Investigation
The impact caused the propeller blades to bend backward and resulted in abrasions and breaks along the lower fuselage skin. No other damage was reported. Post-accident inspections revealed that the nose gear door was semi-open, while the main gear doors were also partially open, indicating an attempt to deploy the gear at the last moment. Mechanical and electrical tests of the landing gear system showed no anomalies; the gear deployed and locked correctly during subsequent manual and emergency tests.
Conclusion
The investigation concluded that there was no mechanical or electrical failure in the landing gear system. The accident was attributed to pilot error, specifically the failure to activate the landing gear down lever prior to touchdown. The report emphasized the critical importance of strictly adhering to approach and landing checklists.