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20260905012119I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Icon A5 · Byron, CA · September 5, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 5, 2026 · 12:30 local
Place
Byron, CA
Airport
Byron
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N238BA
Reported as
Icon A5
Reported engine
ROTAX 912 IS
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
390 total55 in this make and model
N238BARegistered now · Icon A5S/N 00095 · Built 2019Airframe modelIcon A5Engine modelRotax 912 IS series4 cycle

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.

On the morning of September 5, I completed a thorough pre-flight at the aircraft’s home base at

Byron Airport (C83), where the aircraft is hangered. The weight and balance was completed and

Found well within limits. The takeoff gross weight was 1337 with 15 gallons of fuel, and max

Takeoff gross weight is 1570.

At 9:25AM, September 5, 2026, I departed on a part 91 personal flight in N238BA from Byron

Airport (C83) to the san joaquin river where multiple water landings were conducted and back

To Byron Airport (C83), Byron, California. I was flying alone, no passengers. Weather conditions

Were visual meteorological conditions, no ceiling and visibility greater than 10 miles with winds

Light and variable and a temperature of 29 degrees celsius.

After conducting approximately 10-12 water landings in the sacramento delta area, I returned to

Byron Airport. As I approached the airport, I quickly realized there was a significant amount of

Traffic, including gliders, training, and sky diving operations. I had to circle outside of the airport

To safely fit into the traffic pattern. After entering the pattern, I had to make accommodations for

Landing and departing traffic and extended my downwind leg. These interruptions to normal

Operations led me to inadvertently not extend the landing gear. The aircraft subsequently touched

Down with the landing gear in the retracted position. The lower hull contacted the runway

Surface and the aircraft slid to a stop. The time was approximately 12:30PM.

After the aircraft came to a stop, the engine was shut down, and I exited the aircraft and

Announced on CTAF. I sustained no injuries. The airport fire department operations came out and

Together with several local pilots we picked up the aircraft, extended the gear normally and moved the aircraft to the hangar. An initial visual examination identified abrasion/scraping too the

Lower surface of the hull. The aircraft’s maintenance records were reviewed to determine compliance with applicable airworthiness, inspection, and maintenance requirements.

As the FAA filed it

ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 5, I COMPLETED A THOROUGH PRE-FLIGHT AT THE AIRCRAFT’S HOME BASE AT

BYRON AIRPORT (C83), WHERE THE AIRCRAFT IS HANGERED. THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE WAS COMPLETED AND

FOUND WELL WITHIN LIMITS. THE TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT WAS 1337 WITH 15 GALLONS OF FUEL, AND MAX

TAKEOFF GROSS WEIGHT IS 1570.

AT 9:25AM, SEPTEMBER 5, 2026, I DEPARTED ON A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT IN N238BA FROM BYRON

AIRPORT (C83) TO THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER WHERE MULTIPLE WATER LANDINGS WERE CONDUCTED AND BACK

TO BYRON AIRPORT (C83), BYRON, CALIFORNIA. I WAS FLYING ALONE, NO PASSENGERS. WEATHER CONDITIONS

WERE VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, NO CEILING AND VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 10 MILES WITH WINDS

LIGHT AND VARIABLE AND A TEMPERATURE OF 29 DEGREES CELSIUS.

AFTER CONDUCTING APPROXIMATELY 10-12 WATER LANDINGS IN THE SACRAMENTO DELTA AREA, I RETURNED TO

BYRON AIRPORT. AS I APPROACHED THE AIRPORT, I QUICKLY REALIZED THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF

TRAFFIC, INCLUDING GLIDERS, TRAINING, AND SKY DIVING OPERATIONS. I HAD TO CIRCLE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPORT

TO SAFELY FIT INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. AFTER ENTERING THE PATTERN, I HAD TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR

LANDING AND DEPARTING TRAFFIC AND EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND LEG. THESE INTERRUPTIONS TO NORMAL

OPERATIONS LED ME TO INADVERTENTLY NOT EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY TOUCHED

DOWN WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE LOWER HULL CONTACTED THE RUNWAY

SURFACE AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP. THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 12:30PM.

AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN, AND I EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND

ANNOUNCED ON CTAF. I SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CAME OUT AND

TOGETHER WITH SEVERAL LOCAL PILOTS WE PICKED UP THE AIRCRAFT, EXTENDED THE GEAR NORMALLY AND MOVED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE HANGAR. AN INITIAL VISUAL EXAMINATION IDENTIFIED ABRASION/SCRAPING TOO THE

LOWER SURFACE OF THE HULL. THE AIRCRAFT’S MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE REVIEWED TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE AIRWORTHINESS, INSPECTION, AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS.