What happened
On October 8, 2008, a Beechcraft-58, registration JA5327, operated by Asahi Air Co., Ltd., was conducting instrument approach training at Takamatsu Airport. The flight crew consisted of an instructor in the right seat and three trainees, including the pilot in command in the left seat. The session involved performing touch-and-go landings to practice simulated instrument approaches.
During a touch-and-go maneuver, the aircraft touched down normally on the runway. As the pilot in the left seat applied power to accelerate for the subsequent takeoff, the landing gear warning horn sounded at approximately 80 knots. Shortly thereafter, the nose of the aircraft dropped, and the aircraft began sliding on its fuselage. The aircraft veered left, struck a runway edge light, and came to a halt in a grass field adjacent to the runway. There were no injuries among the four occupants, though the aircraft suffered substantial damage to its wings, propellers, and fuselage.
The investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) examined the aircraft's mechanical condition and the flight crew's actions. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was well-maintained, with a valid airworthiness certificate and no mechanical defects found in the landing gear's safety switches or locking mechanisms. The damage to the landing gear retract rod was determined to have been caused by the weight of the aircraft forcing the gear to retract while the aircraft was on the ground.
Investigators also reviewed the training procedures used during the flight. The training involved switching between different flight profiles, including simulated missed approaches with one engine inoperative. The investigation focused on the sequence of cockpit actions during the takeoff roll following the touchdown.
Findings
- The investigation determined that the landing gears were retracted while the aircraft was still in the takeoff rolling phase.
- It is highly probable that the trainee moved the gear handle to the up position by mistake.
- The error may have been a reflex action; the trainee was practicing both touch-and-go landings and missed approach procedures. In a missed approach simulation, the procedure requires retracting the gear immediately after applying power, whereas a touch-and-go requires waiting until a safe climb is established. The trainee likely applied the missed approach logic to the touch-and-go maneuver.
- The instructor was unable to intervene because his attention was focused on maintaining the runway centerline and monitoring the rotation speed.