What happened
On 13 June 1999, a Socata ST10 Diplomate, registration G-AZIB, was conducting a private flight returning to Nottingham Airport from Sherburn Airfield. The weather conditions were favorable at the time of the incident. Upon contacting Nottingham Radio for airfield information, the pilot was instructed to join the circuit for Runway 27.
During the descent on the deadside, the pilot transitioned into a crosswind turn toward the circuit and deployed the first stage of flaps, which was the pilot's standard procedure for initiating gear extension. The pilot proceeded with pre-landing checks and announced being on the late downwind leg. As the aircraft moved to the base leg, the pilot moved the propeller lever to the fully fine position and applied final flap settings. The pilot also activated the gear test light and announced the approach for finals.
While the approach itself was stable, the aircraft touched down on the runway with the landing gear retracted. Following the touchdown, the aircraft came to a stop on the runway, at which point the pilot shut down the engine. Upon exiting the Socata ST10 Diplomate, the pilot observed that the gear indicator still showed the gear in the 'Up' position.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the pilot's cockpit actions and the aircraft's mechanical state. It was established that the pilot had performed the necessary checks but had failed to physically move the gear lever to the down position. The pilot acknowledged that the omission should have been detected during the pre-landing checklist process.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, the underside of the fuselage, and the flaps due to the engine being shock loaded during the impact.
- There were no injuries to the pilot.
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure to extend the landing gear during the approach phase.