What happened
On Tuesday, July 13, 1999, at 20:30, a SOCATA TB 20, registration F-GKVE, was conducting a flight from Royan to Toulouse Lasbordes. During the flight, the pilot observed deteriorating weather conditions near the Montauban region and decided to divert to the uncontrolled Marmande aerodrome.
After performing a reconnaissance of the airfield, the pilot entered a downwind pattern for runway 29. During the approach, the pilot failed to extend the landing gear. The aircraft subsequently landed with the gear retracted, resulting in slight damage to the airframe.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the gear-up landing and the pilot's actions during the circuit. The investigation established that the pilot's attention was diverted during the approach pattern by pedestrians crossing the runway on foot. Additionally, during the final approach, the pilot was facing direct sunlight, which further impacted visibility and concentration.
While reducing power during the flare, the pilot reported hearing an alarm; however, he did not recognize that this was the landing gear warning signal.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a distraction of attention caused by observing pedestrians on the runway.
- Environmental factors, specifically the glare from the sun during the final approach, contributed to the pilot's lack of situational awareness.
- The pilot failed to respond to the cockpit's landing gear warning alarm during the landing flare.