What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 26, 2025, at 14:40 CDT a small twin-engine flight training airplane experienced a left main landing gear malfunction of failing to extend during the approach phase into its home airport.
The pilot executed a low approach on runway 19 and requested visual confirmation of the landing gear position from ATC. The airport’s tower personnel reported that the left main gear did not appear to be down.
The flight instructor stated taking command of the airplane from the student and requesting ATC to allow them to hold east of the airport to attempt to lower the left main landing gear and burn as much fuel as possible at the same time. The flight instructor also recalls following the standard and emergency checklist steps to extend the landing gear but was unsuccessful. Finally, the flight instructor made an intentional gear-up landing on runway 14. The aircraft slid down the runway and came to a stop short of the runway 01/19 intersection, suffering minor damage and not catching fire.
The flight instructor and student were the only occupants and exited the airplane immediately unharmed.
During the FAA inspection two conditions were noticed that contributed to preventing the left main landing gear from extending. The new good year tire installed five days earlier had developed a pronounced bulge on its treads and the gear assembly had shifted aft from the wheel well center. The combination of these two conditions caused the tire to hard lodge itself in the wheel well preventing it from dropping down and extending.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 26, 2025, AT 14:40 CDT A SMALL TWIN-ENGINE FLIGHT TRAINING AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR MALFUNCTION OF FAILING TO EXTEND DURING THE APPROACH PHASE INTO ITS HOME AIRPORT.
THE PILOT EXECUTED A LOW APPROACH ON RUNWAY 19 AND REQUESTED VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE LANDING GEAR POSITION FROM ATC. THE AIRPORT’S TOWER PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DOWN.
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED TAKING COMMAND OF THE AIRPLANE FROM THE STUDENT AND REQUESTING ATC TO ALLOW THEM TO HOLD EAST OF THE AIRPORT TO ATTEMPT TO LOWER THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND BURN AS MUCH FUEL AS POSSIBLE AT THE SAME TIME. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ALSO RECALLS FOLLOWING THE STANDARD AND EMERGENCY CHECKLIST STEPS TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. FINALLY, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR MADE AN INTENTIONAL GEAR-UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 14. THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO A STOP SHORT OF THE RUNWAY 01/19 INTERSECTION, SUFFERING MINOR DAMAGE AND NOT CATCHING FIRE.
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE THE ONLY OCCUPANTS AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY UNHARMED.
DURING THE FAA INSPECTION TWO CONDITIONS WERE NOTICED THAT CONTRIBUTED TO PREVENTING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FROM EXTENDING. THE NEW GOOD YEAR TIRE INSTALLED FIVE DAYS EARLIER HAD DEVELOPED A PRONOUNCED BULGE ON ITS TREADS AND THE GEAR ASSEMBLY HAD SHIFTED AFT FROM THE WHEEL WELL CENTER. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO CONDITIONS CAUSED THE TIRE TO HARD LODGE ITSELF IN THE WHEEL WELL PREVENTING IT FROM DROPPING DOWN AND EXTENDING.