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20031016025749I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech B-60 · Fresno, CA · October 16, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 16, 2003 · 16:06 local
Place
Fresno, CA
Airport
Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2770A
Reported as
Beech B60
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
10,000 total2,500 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N2770ARegistered now · Beech B-60S/N P-492 · Built 1979Airframe modelBeech B-60Engine modelContinental TIO-541 SERIEReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot was cleared to land on runway 29L at kfat after a VFR flight from ksbp. He was able to see runway 29R, the larger runway, and had difficulty finding 29L visually. He did not ask ATC for assistance. He stated to the investigator that during the process of lining up with 29L, he "forgot" to lower the gear. He and his passenger were wearing noise cancelling headsets. The pilot did not hear the warning horn. It is unknown if this system was functional at the time of the incident. The aircraft landed on 29L with the gear in the retracted position. A current pilot operating handbook and aircraft checklist was observed in the aircraft but the pilot reported he did not follow a before landing checklist. The landing gear handle was observed in the up position during post incident investigation. The air traffic controller on duty reported that he recalled looking at the aircraft prior to landing and did not observe anything abnormal. He did not get a close enough view to determine the position of the gear. As the aircraft flew over the approach end of the runway, the controller stated he was scanning down field for surface traffic and did not observe the aircraft configuration.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 29L AT KFAT AFTER A VFR FLIGHT FROM KSBP. HE WAS ABLE TO SEE RUNWAY 29R, THE LARGER RUNWAY, AND HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING 29L VISUALLY. HE DID NOT ASK ATC FOR ASSISTANCE. HE STATED TO THE INVESTIGATOR THAT DURING THE PROCESS OF LINING UP WITH 29L, HE "FORGOT" TO LOWER THE GEAR. HE AND HIS PASSENGER WERE WEARING NOISE CANCELLING HEADSETS. THE PILOT DID NOT HEAR THE WARNING HORN. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THIS SYSTEM WAS FUNCTIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON 29L WITH THE GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. A CURRENT PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK AND AIRCRAFT CHECKLIST WAS OBSERVED IN THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE PILOT REPORTED HE DID NOT FOLLOW A BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST. THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS OBSERVED IN THE UP POSITION DURING POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ON DUTY REPORTED THAT HE RECALLED LOOKING AT THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO LANDING AND DID NOT OBSERVE ANYTHING ABNORMAL. HE DID NOT GET A CLOSE ENOUGH VIEW TO DETERMINE THE POSITION OF THE GEAR. AS THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THE CONTROLLER STATED HE WAS SCANNING DOWN FIELD FOR SURFACE TRAFFIC AND DID NOT OBSERVE THE AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION.