What happened
During the final stages of the flight, the aircraft arrived at the runway with its landing gear in the retracted position. Upon touchdown, the plane performed a wheels-up landing and traveled approximately 6,850 feet along the runway surface. The aircraft eventually came to a stop in a grassy area located roughly 140 feet to the left of the runway centerline. Following the excursion, smoke began to accumulate within the cabin, necessitating an emergency evacuation of the aircraft.
Findings
An investigation into the incident revealed that the captain had failed to complete the 'Hydraulics' portion of the in-range checklist. This error went unnoticed by the first officer. As a result of this omission, the crew lacked the necessary hydraulic pressure required to deploy the flaps and lower the landing gear.
As the aircraft approached the runway, the crew attempted to set the flaps to 15°, but they realized the flaps had failed to extend. The subsequent focus on resolving this flap issue, combined with a high workload during the final minute of the flight, prevented the pilots from performing the landing checklist. This distraction led them to miss various indicators signaling that the landing gear was not down. Additionally, the first officer attempted to alert the captain regarding an excessive approach speed.
The investigation also identified systemic issues regarding the oversight of the pilots by Continental Airlines. It was noted that the airline was aware of inconsistent adherence to standard operating procedures among its flight crews, but previous attempts to implement corrective measures had been unsuccessful.