What happened
On 7 September 2006, a Yak-52, registration G-YAKI, was conducting a 20-minute local flight near Popham Airfield, Hampshire. During the return to the airfield, the pilot decided to land with the landing gear retracted because the passenger was feeling unwell.
While performing a right-hand circuit on Runway 03, the pilot attempted to deploy the landing gear. However, the control lever would not move past the mid or off positions, preventing the gear from extending. After several circuits, the pilot performed a pass over the airfield followed by a steep pull-up, intentionally executing a wheels-up landing. The aircraft came to a stop on the airfield with no injuries to the crew or passenger. The impact resulted in a broken propeller, minor damage to the flaps, and two small dents on the right wing leading edge.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the failure of the landing gear extension mechanism. The aircraft was subsequently moved to a maintenance organisation in White Waltham that specialises in Yak aircraft. During extensive testing of the landing gear system, technicians were unable to replicate the pilot's reported symptoms, and no mechanical faults were identified in the gear deployment system.