What happened
On May 31, 2024, a Textron Aviation G58, registration JA212H, operated by Academic Corporate Body HIRATAGAKUEN, performed a belly landing on Runway 09 at Kobe Airport. The flight was part of a training session for an instrument flight certificate, involving a captain acting as an instructor and two trainees.
During a series of touch-and-go maneuvers, the aircraft executed a go-around following the first successful touch-and-go. In accordance with standard go-around procedures, the trainee pilot retracted the landing gear and flaps. The flight then transitioned into a circling pattern. While the training instructions suggested maintaining the landing gear in the down position during circling patterns, the instructor failed to remind the trainee to extend the gear once the go-around was complete.
As the aircraft approached the runway, the trainee was focused on managing high airspeed and establishing a proper descent path. During this high-workload phase, the trainee failed to perform the normal landing checklist. Although an audible warning sounded to indicate the landing gear was not extended, the crew did not respond to the alert. The aircraft subsequently touched down with the gear retracted, causing the propellers and lower fuselage to strike the runway surface.
The investigation
The JTSB investigation examined the flight records, cockpit communications, and the aircraft's mechanical state. Investigators confirmed that the landing gear handle was in the up position following the accident. The investigation also reviewed the training protocols and checklists used by the operator, specifically noting the differences between the standard operating manual and the specialized training checklists used during touch-and-go maneuvers.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the landing gears were not extended prior to touchdown.
- The trainee pilot's attention was heavily divided between controlling airspeed and maintaining the descent path, which led to the omission of the normal landing checklist.
- The instructor failed to monitor the trainee's checklist progress or provide the necessary instruction to extend the gear following the go-around.
- The crew failed to react to the cockpit's automated landing gear warning sound due to high task saturation.
- The operator's specific training checklist for circling patterns potentially contributed to the oversight by omitting certain critical verification steps.