Incident Overview
On August 14, 2003, at approximately 2222 central daylight time, a Gates LearJet Corporation 35A, registration N403FW, landed with the landing gear retracted at Cancun International Airport in Cancun, Mexico. The aircraft was operated by Air America Flight Services, Inc. on a 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed.
Occupants and Damage
The flight crew consisted of an airline transport rated pilot and a copilot. Three medical personnel were also on board. No injuries were reported. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at approximately 2145 eastern daylight time. According to the director of operations for the operator, the flightcrew was cleared for a visual approach to runway 12. The crew stated they had read the landing checklist. They reported that the landing gear was down and locked, as indicated by three green lights; however, they did not recall if the landing gear was extended as evidenced by the landing lights.
Landing and Aftermath
The flightcrew felt fuselage-to-runway surface contact during landing. The airplane slid approximately 4,000 feet before coming to rest upright. Following the occurrence, the nose of the airplane was raised, and the nose landing gear was observed to be inside the wheel well. An emergency extension of the landing gear was initiated, which extended and locked the nose landing gear; however, the main landing gear did not extend, as fuselage-to-runway contact prevented their extension. The airplane was dragged from the runway. Approximately two days later, a crane raised the aircraft, at which time the main landing gears, which had been in the wheel wells, extended and locked into position.