What happened
On 2 September 2013, a Beechcraft BE58 Baron, registration G-BTFT, was performing a positioning flight from Thruxton Aerodrome to Compton Abbas Airfield for scheduled maintenance. The weather conditions were favorable, characterized by bright sunshine, visibility exceeding 10 km, and scattered clouds at 2,500 ft.
During the final approach to the grass runway, the pilot lowered the landing gear and flaps. While the pilot believed the three green landing gear position lights were illuminated, he later noted that the intense sunlight may have caused a misinterpretation of the cockpit indicators. As the aircraft approached the threshold, the pilot adjusted the flight path to touch down, but noticed the aircraft was sinking more rapidly than expected. Attempting to prevent a premature touchdown, the pilot closed the throttle fully; however, the aircraft impacted the runway with the landing gear still retracted.
There were no injuries to the pilot. The impact resulted in significant damage, including shock-loaded engines, propellers, flaps, and the shearing off of the inboard landing gear doors.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the aircraft and the cockpit instrumentation following the accident. The investigation established that the landing gear was lowered using the mechanical release mechanism without difficulty. Crucially, the pilot reported that the landing gear warning horn, which is designed to activate between 1,200 and 1,500 rpm, did not sound during the approach.
Upon inspection, the landing gear motor circuit breaker was found in the closed position, and the selector handle was set to the DOWN position. The investigation focused on why the pilot believed the gear was down when it was not.