History of the Flight
The private flight departed from Lydd Airport for a local flight. After returning, the pilot performed a successful touch-and-go landing on Runway 21. For the final landing, he decided to practice an asymmetric approach and selected the landing gear down at the start of the descent.
On final approach, air traffic control noticed the landing gear was still retracted and issued a go-around instruction. The pilot applied power on both engines, but a circuit breaker in the landing gear system popped, causing the gear to remain in the up-and-locked position. The resulting asymmetric condition led to a developing roll, prompting the pilot to retard both throttles and accept the landing.
The aircraft touched down with the gear retracted, veered onto the grass on the right side of the runway, and struck a runway light before coming to a stop. The pilot secured the aircraft, and both he and the passenger exited normally via the cabin door, assisted by airport fire crews.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained two bent propellers and damage to the underside of the fuselage. Two sets of propeller strike marks were observed on the runway surface, with the first set close to the point where the go-around was called. The pilot believed that the thrust asymmetry was at least partly due to the propeller damage, confirming his decision to retard throttles.
Landing Gear System Findings
Post-accident examination revealed that the circuit breaker for the landing gear motor had popped, preventing gear extension. The maintenance organization confirmed that this condition had occurred previously on the same aircraft.
The pilot reported that he did not detect the gear failure because the absence of the normal pitch change was masked by the descent, and the single gear-down indicator light was dim and further masked by bright sunlight.
Injuries and Occupants
The aircraft carried one pilot and one passenger. Neither occupant sustained any injuries.