What happened
On 15 July 2016, a Jet Provost T Mk5A, registration G-JPVA, was conducting training maneuvers at North Weald Airfield, Essex. The pilot had previously completed a flight with an instructor involving several circuits, including a low-level exercise. The second flight of the day was intended to be a solo repetition of those maneuvers.
During the first circuit of this solo flight, the pilot began a flapless exercise. As the aircraft approached the runway on final, another aircraft was observed occupying the runway, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around into a low-level circuit at 500 ft. During the downwind leg of this circuit, the pilot performed checks and operated the landing gear lever to the down position. Upon returning to final approach, the pilot selected full flaps and announced that the landing gear was down; however, it is unclear if the three green indicator lights were visually verified.
The aircraft subsequently touched down on the runway centerline, but the landing gear remained in the retracted position. The impact caused damage to the engine compressor blades, landing gear doors, flaps, and the underside of the aircraft panels, including aerials and the anti-collision light. The pilot sustained no injuries and successfully shut down the engine.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the sequence of gear lever movements during the transition from the initial go-around to the final approach. The investigation established that the pilot likely inadvertently raised the landing gear during the transition between the second circuit and the subsequent approach. The pilot noted that while the gear lever was pressed during the downwind leg, the actual position of the gear was not confirmed via the cockpit indicators during the final approach.
Findings
- The pilot likely raised the landing gear during the go-around procedure following the second circuit.
- The pilot operated the landing gear selector button during the downwind leg of the subsequent circuit, which moved the gear to the up position.
- The pilot did not verify the illumination of the three green landing gear indicators during the final approach.