What happened
On August 14, 2023, a Hawker Beechcraft G58, registration JA51HA, operated by Honda Airways Co., Ltd., was performing continuous touch-and-go training at Oita Airport. The flight crew, consisting of an instructor and two trainees, was conducting a final training session to prepare for upcoming competency assessments. During the third touch-and-go attempt, the crew was executing single-engine training, which involved reducing one engine to idle power.
As the aircraft progressed through the traffic pattern, the crew encountered several unexpected changes in air traffic control (ATC) instructions. Initially, the aircraft was directed to follow a preceding flight, which required a wider, more extended downwind leg to maintain separation. During this period, the trainee pilot failed to extend the landing gear. The crew also faced conflicting information regarding whether a touch-and-go was permitted due to wake turbulence concerns.
As the aircraft transitioned to the final approach, the trainee performed a landing checklist but only verbally called out the gear status without visually verifying the three green lights on the instrument panel. The aircraft subsequently touched down on Runway 01 with the landing gear retracted, resulting in a belly landing and substantial damage to the airframe. No injuries were reported, and no fire occurred.
The investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) investigated the incident, involving technical analysis of flight data from the Garmin G1000 integrated flight control system and a review of ATC communications. The investigation examined the cockpit environment, the impact of single-engine training on pilot alertness, and the sequence of ATC instructions provided by Oita Tower. The investigators also analyzed the functionality of the aircraft's landing gear warning system and the crew's adherence to standard operating procedures during high-workload phases.