At about 13:30 EDT, an Aero Commander 500S crashed while landing at Bradley International Airport. The two pilots were not injured. The owner reported that he was engaged in a local proficiency flight from Westchester County Airport, where he had been shooting approaches. During one approach the nose gear extended but the mains did not. The pilots retracted the landing gear and diverted to BDL due to its better weather. The owner, who had been receiving instruction, let the instructor pilot make the landing. On short final both engines were shut down and both propellers feathered. The airplane touched down hard, with one witness saying it appeared that the airplane dropped in from 50 feet. The pilot/owner had in excess of 3,300 hours, and the instructor had more than 8,400 hours.
June 12, Windsor Locks, Conn. / Aero Commander 500S
At about 13:30 EDT, an Aero Commander 500S crashed while landing at Bradley International Airport. The two pilots were not injured. The owner reported that he was engaged in a local proficiency flight from Westchester County Airport, where he had been shooting approaches. During one approach the nose gear extended but the mains did not. The pilots retracted the landing gear and diverted to BDL due to its better weather. The owner, who had been receiving instruction, let the instructor pilot make the landing. On short final both engines were shut down and both propellers feathered. The airplane touched down hard, with one witness saying it appeared that the airplane dropped in from 50 feet. T...
Key Takeaways:
- An Aero Commander 500S crash-landed at Bradley International Airport after initially experiencing a landing gear malfunction, with both pilots remaining uninjured.
- During the emergency landing approach, following a diversion due to the gear issue, both engines were prematurely shut down and propellers feathered, leading to a hard touchdown.
- Despite both the owner-pilot and instructor pilot having significant flight experience (over 3,300 and 8,400 hours respectively), the instructor was flying during the final, unsuccessful landing.
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