What happened
On May 1, 2016, at 19:15 UTC, an Embraver EMB-810C, registration PT-EET, departed from Ponta Grossa Aerodrome (SSZW) in Paraná, Brazil, for a traffic pattern flight. The aircraft was carrying one pilot and three passengers. During the approach, the aircraft landed with the landing gear in the retracted position. The aircraft slid approximately 130 meters along the runway before coming to a stop. The impact resulted in substantial damage to both engines and propellers, though all four occupants escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on why the landing gear was not extended. The pilot reported that prior to landing, the landing gear indicator light remained unlit and the landing gear warning horn did not activate. This led the pilot to believe the gear was already down and locked.
Upon inspection, investigators found that the landing gear extension and retraction system was functioning correctly. However, a technical discrepancy was identified: a poor connection was found at the screw housing the ground wire terminal for the landing gear warning horn. This electrical fault prevented the horn from sounding during power reduction, which likely contributed to the pilot's failure to notice the gear status.
Findings
- The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear due to oversight.
- A faulty ground wire connection that prevented the landing gear warning horn from activating during power reduction.