What happened
On April 20, 2021, a Learjet 35A, registration PR-MLA, was conducting a local touch-and-go training flight at Pampulha Airport (SBBH) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. During the maneuver, the aircraft made contact with the runway with its landing gear in the retracted position. Following the abnormal contact, the aircraft overran the departure end of the runway, traveling approximately 270 meters before striking a tree. The impact caused substantial structural damage to the airframe, including the wings and cabin area.
The accident resulted in one fatality (the pilot in the right seat) and one serious injury (the pilot in command). A passenger, acting as the second in command, was uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA's investigation focused on the crew's configuration of the aircraft and their operational qualifications. The investigation established that during the final approach, the crew had extended the flaps to 40 degrees (full) but failed to extend the landing gear. Although an aural warning for the retracted gear was activated and recorded on the cockpit voice recorder, the crew did not take corrective action. The investigation also noted that the pilot in the right seat was flying with an expired type rating and an expired medical certificate. Furthermore, the pilot in command, while qualified, had limited experience in fixed-wing aircraft, having transitioned from a background primarily in rotary-wing aviation.
Findings
- The aircraft touched down with the landing gear retracted.
- The crew failed to respond to the aural landing gear warning, indicating a breakdown in situational awareness.
- A momentary distraction occurred when the pilot in command reported seeing a kite, which may have contributed to the failure to monitor aircraft configuration.
- The pilot in the right seat was not legally qualified to serve as a crew member due to an expired type rating and medical certificate.
- Ineffective Crew Resource Management (CRM) was observed, as the pilot in the right seat failed to assertively advise on the gear status, and the pilot in command did not verify the aircraft's configuration before touchdown.
- The pilot in command had only approximately 41 hours of experience in the Learjet 35A model.