The student pilot was landing at the non-towered airport after a cross-country flight when he made a “short approach,” did not use any flaps and used an approach speed about 30 knots faster than normal. The student pilot said he didnt use his normal checklist procedure and that everything seemed to be going “too fast” when the airplane landed on the asphalt runway with the landing gear retracted. The skin on the belly of the fuselage was ground down to the main keel. There was no injury to the solo student pilot, but substantial damage to the fuselage structure.
March 16, 2009, Taos, N.M., Beech D35 Bonanza
The student pilot was landing at the non-towered airport after a cross-country flight when he made a "short approach," did not use any flaps and used an approach speed about 30 knots faster than normal. The student pilot said he didnt use his normal checklist procedure and that everything seemed to be going "too fast" when the airplane landed on the asphalt runway with the landing gear retracted.
Key Takeaways:
- A student pilot made a gear-up landing at a non-towered airport, causing substantial damage to the aircraft's fuselage.
- The incident occurred due to several procedural deviations, including a short, excessively fast approach without flaps and neglecting to use the normal checklist.
- The pilot, who was uninjured, admitted to feeling overwhelmed and that everything seemed to be happening "too fast."
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