What happened
On October 10, 2009, a privately owned Piper PA-28R-201T, registration JA4079, was conducting a familiarization flight from Nanki Shirahama Airport to Matsuyama Airport. During the flight, the pilot encountered turbulence and cumulonimbus clouds near Mt. Ishizuchi, prompting a course change to fly seaward to avoid the weather. This maneuver caused the crew to lose their position relative to the Matsuyama VOR/DME signal.
As the aircraft approached Matsuyama, the pilot performed an aggressive descent and a much shorter-than-normal traffic pattern. While the landing gear had been extended and then retracted earlier in the flight to manage speed and altitude, the pilot failed to extend them for the final landing. The aircraft touched down at the end of the runway with the gear retracted, resulting in a belly landing. There were no fatalities or injuries among the two occupants, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, propeller, and flaps.
The investigation
The JTSB investigation examined the aircraft's flight path via GPS and radar records, analyzed ATC communications, and reviewed maintenance and meteorological data. Investigators focused on the pilot's decision-making during the descent and the functionality of the aircraft's landing gear warning systems. The investigation also looked into why the pilot did not notice the landing gear was still up, despite the presence of both visual warning lights and an audible horn.
Findings
- The pilot lost composure due to an excessive descent rate and a failure to follow the standard traffic pattern, which left insufficient time for landing preparations.
- The pilot forgot to extend the landing gears because they were intensely focused on locating the airport and managing the aircraft's position.
- Although the landing gear warning horn was likely sounding, the pilot did not notice it because they were wearing a headset and were preoccupied with maneuvering the aircraft.
- The pilot did not utilize the available landing checklist during the final approach.
- The aircraft's flight path was significantly shorter than a normal pattern, ending the final turn very close to the runway threshold.