What happened
On November 17, 2015, an Embraer EMB-810C, registration PT-EZQ, was performing a passenger transport flight from Borba to Flores Aerodrome (SWFN) in Manaus, Brazil. The aircraft, operated by A.R.T. Táxi Aéreo Ltda., was carrying one pilot and four passengers.
Upon touchdown on runway 11, the aircraft began to drift to the right. While the pilot initially attempted to correct the deviation using rudder pedals, the rightward yaw increased significantly. During the landing roll, the landing gear lever was inadvertently moved to the up position, causing the right landing gear to retract. This caused the right propeller to strike the ground, leading the aircraft to veer off the right side of the runway. The aircraft came to a stop approximately 10 meters from the runway edge, sustaining light damage to the fuselage and the nose wheel hub due to obstacles located in the runway escape area. All five occupants were unharmed.
The investigation
The CENIPA investigation focused on the pilot's actions and the aircraft's configuration. Investigators found that the landing gear lever was in the down position and the flap lever was up upon arrival of the team. While the pilot had followed the checklist for landing, he admitted to a perception error. He had intended to retract the flaps after landing—a habit from flying other aircraft—but instead inadvertently retracted the landing gear.
Analysis revealed that the pilot had significant experience in the Baron 58, where the flap control is located on the co-pilot's panel, whereas the Embraer EMB-810C (Seneca II) features a flap lever located between the seats. The investigation also noted that the aircraft's flight manual specifically advises against retracting flaps immediately after touchdown to avoid accidental gear retraction and to maintain pilot focus on the landing roll.
Findings
- Inadvertent gear retraction due to a perception error and improper application of controls.
- The pilot's limited experience in the specific aircraft model (approximately 19 hours) and the habit of using different control layouts from the Baron 58.
- Deviation from the aircraft's normal operating procedures, which recommend keeping flaps extended until exiting the runway.
- The presence of obstacles in the runway escape area, which exacerbated the damage to the aircraft's fuselage and nose wheel hub.