What happened
On 29 April 2002, a BEECH 58, registration ZS-KLF, was conducting a training flight at Virginia Aerodrome (FAVG). The flight was being operated by an instrument-rated commercial pilot acting as a student to maintain recent experience, accompanied by an instructor. The purpose of the flight was to complete three take-offs and landings within a three-month period to satisfy regulatory requirements for carrying passengers.
After approximately 50 minutes of general training in the nearby General Flying Area, the crew returned to FAVG to perform circuit and landing practice. During an attempted touch-and-go landing on Runway 05, the pilot mistakenly operated the landing gear lever instead of the flap selector. This error caused the landing gear to retract while the aircraft was still in a configuration requiring gear extension, leading to a gear collapse.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of cockpit actions during the landing circuit. The instructor reported that he was actively monitoring the pilot's movements, specifically watching for the potential error of retracting the gear prematurely. According to the instructor, the pilot initially reached for the flap selector but instead moved his hand to the gear lever and moved it to the up position. The instructor was unable to intervene before the gear was retracted.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to both propellers and the underbelly of the airframe.
- There were no injuries to the two occupants on board.
- The primary cause of the accident was the inadvertent retraction of the landing gear instead of the flaps during the touch-and-go maneuver.