What happened
On Tuesday, June 26, 2001, a Beechcraft Be 76 Duchess, registered F-GIRD, was conducting an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) training flight from Toussus-le-Noble to Beauvais. The crew consisted of a student pilot and an instructor.
During the approach and landing on runway 13, the instructor noticed that the aircraft was abnormally low to the ground and heard a metallic scraping sound. It was immediately realized that the landing gear had not been extended. The instructor took control of the aircraft and initiated a go-around. After completing a circuit of the airfield, the aircraft performed a normal landing.
Upon reaching the parking area, the crew discovered that the propeller blades on both engines had sustained slight damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the failure to extend the landing gear and the lack of warning during the approach. Investigators established that the landing gear alarm had been intentionally disconnected during a previous flight. Furthermore, the pre-landing checklists were not sufficiently completed by the crew.