What happened
On 29 January 2006, a Yak-18T, registration HA-YAZ, was conducting a private flight at White Waltham Aerodrome in Berkshire. The pilot intended to perform practice circuits under favorable weather conditions, characterized by sunshine and light winds, using the grass runway 03 in a left-hand pattern.
During the flight, the pilot had not operated this specific aircraft for five weeks. While flying the downwind leg of a circuit, the pilot noted that the sun's position may have obscured the view of the gear warning lights. Although the pilot believed the approach was normal, the aircraft subsequently landed with the landing gear retracted. The aircraft slid along the runway before coming to a halt, and the pilot was able to exit the cockpit unassisted.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the pilot's cockpit procedures. It was observed that the landing gear had been seen to retract during the downwind leg of the circuit. The pilot reported experiencing difficulty locating the gear selector during the flight and admitted that, while he believed he had selected the gear down, he may have inadvertently selected the gear up instead.
Furthermore, the pilot noted that he had turned crosswind early on his final circuit to maintain separation from another aircraft. The investigation also considered the pilot's reliance on a practice of checking for 'three greens' only on final approach, which meant the lack of gear indications earlier in the flight went unnoticed.