What happened
During the final approach to San Juan-Isla Verde Airport, the flight crew initiated the landing gear extension sequence. However, the right main landing gear failed to deploy and remained in the retracted position. Although air traffic control contacted the crew regarding the status of the gear, the captain elected to proceed with the landing attempt.
As a result of the configuration error, the aircraft type (unspecified) impacted the runway on its belly. The plane slid approximately 4,300 feet along the runway surface before veering toward the right side of the pavement and eventually coming to a stop in a nearby drainage ditch. There were zero fatalities and zero injuries among the three people on board, though the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the incident identified several contributing elements related to the crew's actions and the landing sequence:
- The crew did not adhere to established flight procedures.
- Emergency protocols were handled improperly during the approach.
- The pilot failed to verify that the landing gear was fully extended and locked prior to touchdown.
- The mechanical components of the landing gear assembly were found to be in normal working order, indicating no mechanical failure prevented the extension.