What happened
On 6 August 2018, a SIAI Marchetti S.205 20/R, registration G-BFAP, was performing a private flight when an incident occurred during the landing phase at Leicester Airport. As the pilot approached the airfield, the pre-landing checklist was carried out while on the downwind leg of the circuit. This procedure included the instruction to extend the landing gear.
During the final approach, the pilot reduced the engine power to idle and transitioned into the flare. However, the aircraft made contact with the runway with the landing gear still in the retracted position. The resulting impact caused the aircraft to skid along the paved surface before eventually coming to a stop. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, the lower fuselage skin, and the engine suffered a shock-load.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events leading to the touchdown and the aircraft's configuration. The pilot noted that the landing gear warning horn, which is designed to activate if the gear remains up while the landing flaps are selected and the engine is at idle power, failed to sound during the flare. The investigation was unable to determine why this warning system did not function as intended.