Wheel-less plane hit runway at Exeter Airport

Landing gear hadn't deployed

A plane that was being used for training a pilot touched down at Exeter Airport last March without its landing gear being deployed, causing its propellor to hit the runway.

An Air Accident Investigation Board report hasn't been able to determine why the wheels of the plane didn't work on 16 March 2020.

The two people on board, a pilot undertaking refresher training after re-joining the company, and his 59-year-old instructor, were unharmed, but the plane suffered propellor damage, shock-loading to the engines and minor real fuselage damage. The commander of the plane had 8,500 hours' experience at the time of the incident, of which 3,000 hours were in similar aircraft. Both pilots heard a loud metallic noise when the plane hit the runway.

The plane, a  Beechcraftt Super King Air 200, with the call sign G-FLYW, took off from Bristol Airport on a general handling training flight. The idea was to undertake two approaches at Exeter, touch down, then head back to Bristol from where the trip originated.

The AAIB report of the incident says: "Due to landing traffic ahead, the handling pilot elected to extend the downwind leg and the landing gear was selected down when the aircraft was on left base. All appeared normal and the pilots remembered seeing three green lights indicating that the landing gear was locked down. No undercarriage position warnings were evident. When the aircraft was being flared for touchdown both pilots heard a loud metallic noise and a go-around was initiated. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft touch down with the landing gear retracted and its propellers striking the runway.

"During the go-around, and before the landing gear was selected up, the pilots noted that the green undercarriage indicator lights were extinguished. After the go-around, the pilots attempted to recycle the landing gear using the normal system, but it remained retracted. Lowering the landing gear using the emergency mechanism was successful and the aircraft landed at Exeter Airport without further incident.

"It was not possible to positively determine how the aircraft had come to touch down with its landing gear retracted. Following this accident, the CAA undertook to review whether its process for one-off flight approvals should include a wider set of criteria."