What happened
On September 4, 2022, a Beechcraft A-35, registration LV-FLD, was involved in an accident at La Plata Airport in the province of Buenos Aires. The aircraft, performing a general aviation training flight, had just landed on runway 02. While taxiing toward the apron, the pilot mistakenly activated the landing gear retraction switch instead of the flap retraction switch. This error caused the nose gear and the right main landing gear to retract, resulting in the propeller, the nose, and the right wing tip making contact with the ground. The accident resulted in significant damage to the aircraft, though there were no injuries to the pilot or any passengers.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the cockpit configuration and the pilot's actions during the taxi phase. Investigators noted that the switches for the flaps and the landing gear were identical in design and could only be distinguished by their physical location in the cockpit. Furthermore, the aircraft lacked any safety mechanism or interlock to prevent the landing gear from being retracted while the wheels were in contact with the ground.
Review of the onboard checklists revealed that the "Engine Shutdown" procedure included the step to retract the flaps. The investigation found that the flaps were in the up position, suggesting the pilot may have begun executing the shutdown checklist prematurely while still taxiing on the runway.
Findings
- The pilot mistakenly operated the landing gear switch instead of the flap switch during taxi.
- The aircraft's design and manufacturing year meant it lacked a safety system to prevent gear retraction during ground operations.
- The pilot likely initiated the engine shutdown checklist while the aircraft was still in motion toward the apron.