What happened
On December 7, 2013, a TBM 700B, registration PR-AGT, was performing a short 15-minute flight from Assis, SP, to a private landing strip at Fazenda Guacho, in Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, Brazil. The aircraft was operated by Agroterenas S.A. Adm. e Participações.
During the final approach, the pilot failed to extend the landing gear. As the aircraft reached the threshold and began the flare, the propeller struck the asphalt runway surface. The impact caused the aircraft to drag along the pavement, veer to the right, and eventually come to a stop in a grassy area 208 meters from the runway threshold. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, engine, flap panels, and the wing-to-fuselage attachment link.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft' and the pilot's operational procedures. A functional check performed by a maintenance company six days after the accident confirmed that the landing gear system, including the extension, locking mechanism, and cockpit warning lights, was fully operational. There was no mechanical failure involved in the incident.
The investigation focused on why the pilot failed to deploy the gear. It was discovered that the pilot was using a condensed checklist that lacked a "Before Landing Check" section, which would have included the mandatory verification of the landing gear position. Additionally, the investigation looked into the pilot's approach technique and the impact of cockpit alerts on situational awareness.
Findings
- The pilot forgot to extend the landing gear due to the absence of a proper landing checklist.
- The pilot's habit of performing a "power-on" approach (maintaining higher power settings until late in the flare) meant that the landing gear warning alarm only triggered momentarily as the power was reduced and flaps were deployed, leaving insufficient time to react or execute a go-around.
- The pilot's situational awareness was degraded by the frequent activation of the EGPWS "Terrain" alerts, which occurred during approaches to unrecognized private strips and acted as a significant distraction.
- The pilot was using a non-standard, condensed checklist that did not contain the necessary procedures for the landing phase.