2019 Cessna C177RG gear-up landing at Fes-Saiss Airport (CN-TKW)

Incident Overview and Classification On July 20, 2019, at 13:16 UTC, a Cessna C177RG with registration CN-TKW made a gear-up landing on runway 27 at Fes-Saiss Airport (GMFF) in Morocco. The event was classified as an accident by the Moroccan Bureau of Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation and Analysis (BEAM), which opened a technical investigation. The aircraft was owned by a private individual and was operating as a private VFR flight. ## Flight Sequence and Emergency Response The pilot, a 56-year-old male holding a private pilot license, took off at 13:09 UTC with one passenger aboard. At 13:10 UTC, air traffic control authorized a standard left-hand traffic pattern for a touch-and-go landing on runway 27. At 13:16 UTC, the aircraft landed with the landing gear retracted instead of performing the requested touch-and-go. When questioned by the controller, the pilot stated that he had forgotten to lower the landing gear. The control tower immediately activated the emergency plan and dispatched the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Service (SSLIA). Upon arrival, no fire or sparks were detected. The pilot and passenger exited the aircraft safely, and the removal operation did not impact air traffic. ## Aircraft Damage and Investigation Findings The aircraft sustained minor damage to the lower fuselage structure, the lower engine cowling, and one deformed propeller blade. After the accident, investigators found the landing gear flap in the high (UP) position, indicating that the pilot likely did not lower the landing gear. The Cessna C177RG is equipped with landing gear position indicators (amber for retracted, green for extended) and an additional audible alarm that triggers if the gear is retracted or not extended and locked when the throttle is retarded below approximately 12 inches. ## Pilot Experience and Meteorological Conditions The pilot had a total of 245 flight hours on fixed-gear aircraft and no experience on retractable-gear aircraft except for two instructional flights totaling 1 hour and 50 minutes, both conducted in July 2019 before the accident. The METAR for GMFF at 14:00 UTC on the day of the accident reported favorable conditions for a local VFR flight, with winds from 310° at 8 knots.