Incident
On 9 January 2007 at 1529 UTC, a Beech 90 King Air (registration OY-JRO) was on a positioning flight from Coventry to Cardiff Airport. The aircraft was radar-vectored and established on the ILS for Runway 30. The commander flew the approach manually after turbulence exceeded the autopilot's capabilities. The aircraft approached to land with the landing gear not selected down. Air traffic control alerted the pilot, and the approach was discontinued. The aircraft subsequently landed without further incident.
Commander's Report
The commander, who held an Air Transport Pilot's Licence with 8,000 total hours (2,200 on type), reported that he thought he had selected the landing gear down by the time the aircraft reached 1,000 ft above aerodrome level, as required by company procedures. He recalled placing his hand on the control lever and applying the usual compensatory rudder trim adjustment. However, at that point the aircraft was in a heavy shower, and the noise from precipitation striking the windscreen and airframe would have masked the sound of the landing gear lowering. The weather conditions, including strong crosswinds and turbulence, focused the commander's efforts on maintaining an accurate flight path, preventing a check of the landing gear indications until visual flight conditions were achieved. A call from ATC instructing a go-around alerted the pilot to the situation.
AAIB Comment
In an open and honest report, the commander attributed the incident to his failure to carry out the standard cockpit checks before landing. He did not attempt to link this with the difficult flying conditions, which the AAIB noted almost certainly contributed to his lapse. The pilot also acknowledged the diligence and professionalism of the Cardiff controller who alerted him to the situation.