Gear-up landing and breakup of training aircraft at Pampulha Airport

1 fatality • Belo Horizonte-Pampulha-Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Brazil • Landing (descent or approach)

A training flight involving a two-pilot crew and one passenger ended in a fatal accident after an aircraft landed without its landing gear extended at Belo Horizonte-Pampulha-Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport.

What happened

On a local training mission, an aircraft departed from Belo Horizonte-Pampulha-Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport at 14:20 local time. The flight was operated with two pilots and one passenger on board. Following approximately 30 minutes of flight time in the surrounding area, the crew decided to return to the airport to perform a touch-and-go maneuver on runway 13.

During the final approach phase, the crew failed to extend the landing gear. As a result, the aircraft type landed on its belly. The impact caused the plane to slide several hundred meters along the runway before overrunning the end of the strip. The aircraft subsequently breached the perimeter fence, striking concrete poles, and eventually came to a stop against a group of trees, where the fuselage broke into two pieces. The accident resulted in one fatality and two injuries.

Findings

Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor was the failure to lower the landing gear during the approach to the runway.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by the crew's failure to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown during a touch-and-go maneuver.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2021-04-20 Learjet 35 accident near Belo Horizonte-Pampulha-Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Brazil?

A training flight involving a two-pilot crew and one passenger ended in a fatal accident after an aircraft landed without its landing gear extended at Belo Horizonte-Pampulha-Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport.

Were there any fatalities in the 2021-04-20 Learjet 35 accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 1 fatality.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2021-04-20 involved a Learjet 35, registration PR-MLA, operated by Electric Power Construção, at Belo Horizonte-Pampulha-Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Brazil.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The accident was caused by the crew's failure to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown during a touch-and-go maneuver.

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