What happened
On 18 February 2021, a T-3/8A Talon, tail number 64-13304, was conducting a single-ship training mission from Beale Air Force Base. The flight profile included maneuvers within a local military operating area (MOA) and practice approaches and landings at Sacramento Mather Airport.
During a touch-and-go landing attempt on Runway 22L, the pilot initiated the takeoff portion of the maneuver by advancing the throttles. However, the pilot raised the landing gear lever while the aircraft was still in a state that did not meet required safety parameters. As the gear began to retract, the aircraft descended toward the runway. Although the pilot briefly moved the lever back to the down position before raising it again, the main landing gear struck the runway in a partially extended state approximately 2,320 feet from the approach end.
The impact caused the main landing gear to collapse and triggered a hydraulic system failure, resulting in a fire in the right landing gear bay. The aircraft slid along the runway surface for several thousand feet before coming to rest. There were no injuries to the pilot or the instructor pilot, though the accident resulted in over $3 million in damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The Accident Investigation Board (AIB) examined the flight sequence and the cockpit actions of the crew. The investigation reviewed the mission planning, the technical specifications of the T-38A, and the established procedures for touch-and-go landings. Because the aircraft's systems do not record cockpit voice or parametric sensor data, investigators utilized GPS data from an approved device carried by the pilot to reconstruct the flight profile.
Findings
- The primary cause of the mishap was the premature raising of the landing gear lever during the touch-and-go maneuver.
- The pilot failed to adhere to established procedures, which dictate that the landing gear should only be retracted once the aircraft is definitely airborne and a positive rate of climb is established.
- A significant contributing factor was the pilot's misperception regarding whether a positive climb rate had been achieved following the touchdown.