2017 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza accident at Lyon-Bron (F-GLSR)

Accident overview and flight details On 29 July 2017, a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza with registration F-GLSR was involved in an accident at Lyon-Bron (69) in France. The aircraft was operating a private general-aviation flight and was piloted by a single person. The accident occurred at approximately 12:30 local time. The aircraft sustained heavy damage. ## Flight sequence The pilot departed from Aix-les-Milles (13) for Lyon-Bron. On arrival, Lyon Information authorized the pilot to enter a long final for runway 34. The pilot began the descent from about 2,500 ft and proceeded toward the final approach. After stabilizing in level flight, the pilot extended the flaps to the approach configuration and contacted the Lyon-Bron tower controller. The controller asked the pilot to call when passing the “Bravo Roméo” ADF radiobeacon, which was located on the runway 34 centerline 7 nautical miles from the threshold. The pilot reported being unable to find the radiobeacon and told the controller that the runway was in sight and that the aircraft was in long final. The controller authorized the landing. The pilot reduced power, entered descent, and set the flaps to the landing configuration. In short final, the pilot set the propeller controls to full low pitch and the mixture to full rich. The aircraft touched down with the landing gear retracted, slid for about 200 meters, and came to rest on the runway. ## Weather and pilot information Meteorological conditions recorded at the aerodrome at 11:40 and transmitted by ATIS were: wind from 310° at 5 kt; CAVOK; temperature 26 °C; QNH 1018 hPa. The pilot held a private pilot license for airplanes (PPL(A)) issued in August 2013 and had a total of 235 flight hours, including 135 hours as pilot-in-command and 53 hours on this aircraft, of which 9.5 hours were in the preceding three months. ## Pilot account and post-accident findings The pilot stated that being unable to find the radiobeacon was a distraction. The pilot reported forgetting to perform the pre-landing checklist during the final approach and failing to check the landing-gear position indicator. The pilot did not hear an alarm indicating that the landing gear was not extended during the flare. On this aircraft model, an alarm indicating that the gear is not extended sounds when the engine manifold pressure is below approximately 12 inches of mercury and the power control is in the idle position. After the accident, a gear-extension test was performed. No malfunction or position-indication anomaly of the landing gear was detected.