Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Beech 95-B55, registration G-FABM, manufactured in 1979. It was powered by two Continental IO-470-L piston engines. The flight was a private operation, with two crew and no passengers on board. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence with IMC and Night Ratings, was 74 years old, and had accumulated 2,191 flying hours, of which 837 hours were on type. In the 90 days prior to the incident, he had flown 7 hours, with 5 hours in the last 28 days.
Accident Sequence
On 27 March 1999 at 1118 hours UTC, the aircraft was participating in a spot landing competition at Guernsey Airport, Channel Islands. The pilot did not lower the landing gear and subsequently conducted a landing with the gear retracted. The gear warning horn, which should have alerted the pilot, failed to operate. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its underside and propellers. Neither crew member was injured.
Pilot's Observations
The pilot attributed the cause of the accident to distractions, including being close to the preceding aircraft in the landing pattern. The competition rules included a specific warning regarding the lowering of landing gear and completion of pre-landing checks.