What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Tower instructed him to enter a left downwind for runway 22 even though the winds were favoring runway 32. The PIC noted that the winds were reported at 18-35 knots around 300 at keau. The PIC entered the downwind at 2000 feet and noted the winds were very strong at that altitude. The PIC received his clearance to land and performed his full pre-landing check but does not recall seeing the light on for the gear to be down but did feel the gear down in his pedals. The PIC was performing a slip approach for landing, and it was going very well. At around 150-200 feet before landing, the PIC heard a conversation that tower was having with another pilot. Right as the airplane was landing the PIC felt a bump, not like a belly landing but rather something different like the wheels touching down but
When the PIC flared the aircraft, and the aircraft came down on its belly. The aircraft skidded off the runway to the right into the grass after the accident.
10/19/2025 Investigation of the accident found the aircraft just off the runway in the grass setting on its belly. Main landing gear was hanging down just below the wheel wells in the grass. Left wing had struck a runway light and left a small dent near the wing root, prop strike was also noted. Mechanic on scene who recovered the aircraft lifted the nose of the aircraft and manually extended landing gear to be able to move it off the runway noted that the gear switch was in the down position.
11/03/2025 Aircraft brought into the hanger to be jacked and perform a gear swing. Belly damage that was noted was mostly superficial skin damage with one, possibly two belly frames that may need to be repaired or replaced between the main wheel wells. No apparent firewall damage was noted with just some superficial fuselage damage forward of the wings and no fuselage damage aft of the wings. Aircraft was jacked, landing gear link was reactivated after the alternat extension to move the aircraft off the runway. Found landing gear motor circuit breaker popped. Rest the circuit breaker and performed landing gear retraction and extension five separate times with no defects noted. Warning horns and light worked as outlined in the maintenance manual. Inspection of the gear motor and linkage found no damage, well lubricated, and appeared to operate normally.
As the FAA filed it
TOWER INSTRUCTED HIM TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 22 EVEN THOUGH THE WINDS WERE FAVORING RUNWAY 32. THE PIC NOTED THAT THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AT 18-35 KNOTS AROUND 300 AT KEAU. THE PIC ENTERED THE DOWNWIND AT 2000 FEET AND NOTED THE WINDS WERE VERY STRONG AT THAT ALTITUDE. THE PIC RECEIVED HIS CLEARANCE TO LAND AND PERFORMED HIS FULL PRE-LANDING CHECK BUT DOES NOT RECALL SEEING THE LIGHT ON FOR THE GEAR TO BE DOWN BUT DID FEEL THE GEAR DOWN IN HIS PEDALS. THE PIC WAS PERFORMING A SLIP APPROACH FOR LANDING, AND IT WAS GOING VERY WELL. AT AROUND 150-200 FEET BEFORE LANDING, THE PIC HEARD A CONVERSATION THAT TOWER WAS HAVING WITH ANOTHER PILOT. RIGHT AS THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDING THE PIC FELT A BUMP, NOT LIKE A BELLY LANDING BUT RATHER SOMETHING DIFFERENT LIKE THE WHEELS TOUCHING DOWN BUT
WHEN THE PIC FLARED THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN ON ITS BELLY. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT INTO THE GRASS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
10/19/2025 INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT FOUND THE AIRCRAFT JUST OFF THE RUNWAY IN THE GRASS SETTING ON ITS BELLY. MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS HANGING DOWN JUST BELOW THE WHEEL WELLS IN THE GRASS. LEFT WING HAD STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT AND LEFT A SMALL DENT NEAR THE WING ROOT, PROP STRIKE WAS ALSO NOTED. MECHANIC ON SCENE WHO RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND MANUALLY EXTENDED LANDING GEAR TO BE ABLE TO MOVE IT OFF THE RUNWAY NOTED THAT THE GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION.
11/03/2025 AIRCRAFT BROUGHT INTO THE HANGER TO BE JACKED AND PERFORM A GEAR SWING. BELLY DAMAGE THAT WAS NOTED WAS MOSTLY SUPERFICIAL SKIN DAMAGE WITH ONE, POSSIBLY TWO BELLY FRAMES THAT MAY NEED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED BETWEEN THE MAIN WHEEL WELLS. NO APPARENT FIREWALL DAMAGE WAS NOTED WITH JUST SOME SUPERFICIAL FUSELAGE DAMAGE FORWARD OF THE WINGS AND NO FUSELAGE DAMAGE AFT OF THE WINGS. AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED, LANDING GEAR LINK WAS REACTIVATED AFTER THE ALTERNAT EXTENSION TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY. FOUND LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. REST THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND PERFORMED LANDING GEAR RETRACTION AND EXTENSION FIVE SEPARATE TIMES WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. WARNING HORNS AND LIGHT WORKED AS OUTLINED IN THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL. INSPECTION OF THE GEAR MOTOR AND LINKAGE FOUND NO DAMAGE, WELL LUBRICATED, AND APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMALLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5865P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.