The airplane was landed gear-up at about 0850 Mountain time. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. However, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot subsequently reported he was initially inbound for landing on Runway 32, which was changed to Runway 35. He stated he felt “rushed” by ATC due to aircraft sequencing while he set the flaps, lowered the landing gear and set the propellers in no certain sequence. The pilot added that he did not verify their positions prior to landing. Subsequently, the aircraft landed gear-up.
November 12, 2007, Salt Lake City, Utah, Piper PA-31-350
The airplane was landed gear-up at about 0850 Mountain time. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. However, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot subsequently reported he was initially inbound for landing on Runway 32, which was changed to Runway 35. He stated he felt "rushed" by ATC due to aircraft sequencing while he set the flaps, lowered the landing gear and set the propellers in no certain sequence. The pilot added that he did not verify their positions prior to landing. Subsequently, the aircraft landed gear-up.
Key Takeaways:
- A commercial pilot performed a gear-up landing, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft but no injuries to the sole occupant.
- The pilot reported feeling "rushed" by Air Traffic Control (ATC) during a runway change and aircraft sequencing for landing.
- This pressure caused the pilot to execute pre-landing procedures (flaps, gear, propellers) out of sequence and neglect to verify the landing gear's position before touching down.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
