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Aircraft Belly Landing During Takeoff Roll (F-BGXD)

Điện Biên Phủ, VietnamTakeoff (climb)

On January 31, 1954, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration F-BGXD) operated by Aigle Azur was involved in an aviation accident near Điện Biên Phủ, Vietnam during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Inadvertent retraction of the undercarriage prior to takeoff. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft suffered a belly landing after the pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear during the takeoff roll. The plane slid for a dozen yards, sustaining irreparable damage, though no injuries were reported.

Incident Overview During the takeoff roll, one of the pilots mistakenly raised the landing gear before the aircraft had achieved liftoff. As a result, the aircraft sank onto its belly and slid for a dozen yards before coming to a stop. ## Damage and Injuries The incident resulted in no injuries to the occupants. However, the aircraft sustained damage that was assessed as beyond repair. ## Official Findings The official investigation identified the probable cause as the inadvertent retraction of the undercarriage prior to takeoff. No specific aircraft type, registration, operator, date, or location was provided in the source material.

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