What happened
On February 4, 2014, a Cessna 150J, registration PT-CVP, was performing a local flight at the Batatais Aerodrome in São Paulo, Brazil. The aircraft, operated by Dumont Escola de Aviação, was conducting a training flight involving a flapless approach to runway 12. During the final approach, the pilot failed to extend the landing gear.
The error was only realized during the flare. The aircraft made contact with the runway approximately 400 meters from the threshold, with the propeller blades and the underside of the fuselage striking the ground. The aircraft slid for about 100 meters before coming to a stop on the runway. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the engine, propeller, and fuselage belly.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators conducted a functional test of the landing gear system, performing multiple extension and retraction cycles. The tests confirmed that the gear system was operating normally, with no mechanical failures detected. This led investigators to conclude that the landing gear was not deployed due to pilot error.
The investigation also examined the aircraft's cockpit warning systems. The 1966 design featured a single green light for gear down, an amber transit light, and an audible alarm that triggers when the gear is unlocked and manifold pressure drops below 12 inches. In this instance, the power reduction required for the approach occurred so close to the ground that the audible alarm only sounded as the aircraft was already touching the runway.