What happened
On 4 August 2017, a Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga SP, registration G-BJCW, was involved in a landing accident at Bembridge Airport, Isle of Wight. The aircraft, operated for a private flight, was being piloted by a commander with 217 total flying hours, only five of which were on this specific aircraft type. During the landing sequence, the pilot failed to extend the landing gear, causing the aircraft to contact the runway on its belly.
The impact resulted in damage to the propeller, the underside skin of the aircraft, and the flaps. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on why the landing gear was not deployed prior to touchdown. The pilot noted that the approach was abbreviated and did not include a full circuit, which deprived him of the opportunity to perform standard cockpit checks. Furthermore, the pilot had recently been flying an aircraft with a fixed undercarriage, which may have influenced his procedural habits.
Investigators examined the aircraft's audible gear warning system. This system is designed to trigger an alert if the gear remains retracted while the throttle quadrant switch indicates a low power setting (specifically, less than approximately 14 inches of manifold pressure). It was determined that the warning either failed to activate, was not heard by the pilot, or the conditions required to trigger the alert were not met during the approach.
Findings
- The pilot failed to select the landing gear down for the approach.
- The approach was non-standard, lacking a full circuit for necessary checklists.
- The pilot's recent experience on fixed-gear aircraft may have contributed to the oversight.
- The status of the audible warning system's functionality at the time of the accident could not be confirmed.