March 10, 2011, Seattle, Wash., Fairchild SA227-AC

At about 1841 Pacific time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during a gear-up landing. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed for the Part 135 on-demand cargo flight. The pilot later said he aborted his first landing attempt due to strong winds. He stayed in the airport traffic pattern. During his second landing attempt, he was just about to flare when "things didnt feel right" and he aborted that landing.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, May 05, 2011 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A commercial pilot sustained substantial aircraft damage during a gear-up landing following a Part 135 cargo flight, though the pilot was uninjured.
The incident occurred after the pilot aborted two prior landing attempts and experienced confusing air traffic control instructions during the final approach.
The pilot performed a "flow check" without using a checklist, mistakenly believing the landing gear was deployed before the gear-up landing.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The pilot later said he aborted his first landing attempt due to strong winds. He stayed in the airport traffic pattern. During his second landing attempt, he was just about to flare when “things didnt feel right” and he aborted that landing. On his third attempt, the tower controller had initially cleared him to land behind a Cessna Citation. While on final approach, the pilot performed “S” turns for spacing.

Shortly after, the controller instructed the pilot to go-around. The pilot began to initiate a go-around when the controller advised him he was cleared to land. The pilot said he performed a “flow check” without using the checklist and thought he had placed the landing gear in the down position. Subsequently, the airplane landed gear up. Examination revealed both engine firewalls were damaged and structural damage was observed to an aft fuselage bulkhead.