What happened
On August 5, 2013, a private Beech 55 Baron, registration F-BNOK, departed from Figari Aerodrome for a local flight. During the final approach to runway 05, the pilot noticed that the green landing gear down-lock indicator light failed to illuminate after the gear extension sequence. After checking circuit breakers and testing the light, the pilot requested confirmation of the gear position from air traffic control. The controller, observing the aircraft, suggested an aborted approach and a low pass in front of the tower to verify the gear status.
During subsequent flight maneuvers, the pilot attempted several gear extension and retraction sequences. During a second low pass, the controller informed the pilot that while the gear doors were open, the landing gear itself had not extended. The pilot then proceeded to a holding pattern south of the aerodrome to attempt the emergency gear extension procedure. However, the pilot was unable to operate the manual emergency hand crank because a piece of luggage had shifted and was obstructing the mechanism.
Following consultation with the controller, the pilot decided to land at Figari on the grass adjacent to the runway. To mitigate the impact, the airport fire services applied a foam carpet to the runway. The pilot landed on runway 23 at approximately 09:02 with the landing gear retracted, resulting in heavy damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
Technical examinations of the landing gear revealed that the gear doors were open, but the gear was stuck in an intermediate position between retracted and extended. The investigation confirmed that the landing gear control system, including both normal and emergency functions, was fully operational and capable of locking the gear in place.
Investigators discovered that the cockpit light for the gear down-lock indicator could be adjusted via a rotating cover to reduce brightness for night operations. At the time of the accident, the selector was set to the lowest brightness setting, making the light nearly invisible during daylight hours.
Regarding the emergency procedure, the investigation found that the emergency extension crank, located behind the front seats, was physically blocked by a bag that had slid behind the seat after the pre-flight inspection. Additionally, the aircraft's autopilot was inoperative at the time, preventing the pilot from hands-off maneuvering to attempt to clear the obstruction. While a gear-unlocked audio alarm was functional, the pilot did not recall hearing it.
Findings
- The landing gear was likely extended and locked during the initial approach, but the pilot believed it was retracted because the incorrectly adjusted brightness of the green indicator light made it undetectable in daylight.
- The pilot was unable to utilize the emergency extension procedure because a piece of luggage was obstructing the manual control crank.
- The pilot did not notice the absence of the characteristic mechanical noise during gear extension, potentially because engine noise masked the sound during non-idle power settings.