Those Who Have and Those Who Refuse To

Monday, December 21, 2020 at 03:28 PM ET

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On The Cover: It's rare to see a pilot who inadvertently flies his pride and joy to a gear-up landing, and who wants to talk much about it, especially in public. But that's exactly what John Dalman's article beginning on page 16 does. It's a tale of acceptance, introspection and determination it won't happen again. Image by the author.

Key Takeaways:

A pilot experienced a gear-up landing due to a chain of human factors, including get-home-itis, fatigue, distractions from busy airspace, an uncharacteristic straight-in approach, and misinterpreting the gear warning horn.
The FAA's subsequent reexamination confirmed the pilot's flying competence but identified fatigue, get-home-itis, and distractions as the primary contributors, ultimately clearing the pilot to continue flying.
As a result of the incident, the pilot implemented new procedures, including rigorous GUMPS checks at every phase-of-flight change and deploying landing gear before any flaps, to prevent future occurrences.
The aircraft's repairs included an engine overhaul and significant upgrades, such as new tip tanks and an enhanced gear warning system, turning the incident into an opportunity for comprehensive improvements.

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Editor’s note: The following is a first-person account of an inadvertent gear-up landing and its aftermath, written by the incident pilot and adapted from a series of posts at BeechTalk.com, an online resource for Beechcraft owners and pilots of all aircraft types.

On August 5, 2020, I landed my much-loved Beechcraft F33A Bonanza gear-up at my home airport. What follows details my interpretations of the causes and lessons learned from this incident, and its aftermath, in the hope my fellow pilots can learn from my mistakes. By way of background, I earned my private certificate in 1986, adding the instrument rating a couple of years later. I now hold a commercial certificate with single- and multi-engine land ratings, plus the instrument rating.