What happened
On December 8, 2002, a Cessna 177 RG (registration F-GAAF) was engaged in a training flight at Rouen aerodrome. The pilot intended to perform three touch-and-go landings at low altitudes, maintaining a height between 600 and 1,000 feet under Special VFR conditions.
Following the initial touch-and-go, the pilot began performing a checklist during the downwind leg for runway 04. While the pilot believed the checklist was completed by the time the aircraft reached the base leg, the landing gear remained retracted. Just prior to touchdown, the landing gear warning alarm sounded; however, the pilot determined that there was insufficient altitude to execute a go-around. Consequently, the aircraft landed on its belly, sliding approximately 100 meters along the runway before coming to a stop.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's checklist execution and the configuration of the aircraft upon landing. Investigators found that the landing gear lever was in the retracted position, although the flaps had been extended to the first notch as intended. The pilot, an experienced flyer with over 5,600 total flight hours, noted that they were more accustomed to flying the fixed-gear Cessna 172 and had specifically omitted the gear extension step from their sequence of actions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the partial execution of the pre-landing checklist.
- The pilot failed to extend the landing gear during the downwind leg of the circuit.
- The pilot's familiarity with fixed-gear aircraft contributed to the oversight of the gear extension requirement.