What happened
On 3 July 2000, a Beech V35, registration ZS-ITL, was engaged in a local private flight near Newcastle. While attempting to land at Newcastle Airport, the pilot mistakenly operated the landing gear lever instead of the flap lever. This error resulted in the retraction of the landing gear during the landing sequence.
The impact caused the aircraft to suffer substantial damage to the nose and main landing gear, as well as the propeller. Additionally, the lower portion of the left-hand wing tip sustained minor damage. There were two occupants on board the aircraft during the incident, and no injuries were reported.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the pilot's credentials and the aircraft's maintenance history. The pilot held a valid private pilot license with the appropriate type rating, though the license required the use of corrective lenses. At the time of the accident, the pilot had 124 total flying hours, with 39.1 hours specifically on this aircraft type.
The aircraft's maintenance records showed that the most recent Maintenance Period Inspection (MPI) had been completed on 16 June 2000, when the airframe had 1684 hours. The accident occurred when the airframe had reached 1703 hours, meaning the aircraft was only 19 flying hours past its last major inspection.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was pilot error, specifically the inadvertent retraction of the landing gear in place of the flaps during the landing phase.
- Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were fine.