ERA19TA233

According to the pilot, during an approach to land he said he extended the landing gear. He said that it According to the pilot, during an approach to land, he extended the landing gear. He said that it was hard to see if the landing gear indicator light was illuminated, but he said that he observed "one green." Surveillance video showed the airplane on short final with the landing gear in the up and locked position; before touchdown, video showed the airplane’s landing flare with the landing gear stowed. During landing, the pilot heard the noise of the propellers striking the ground and pulled back on the yoke to allow the airplane to slide to a stop. Flames came from the underside of the airplane, and the airport fire department extinguished the fire. Examination of the airplane revealed that the inboard right and left wing was substantially damaged by the fire. The airplane was raised from the runway and the landing gear was manually extended from the up and locked position. During a gear retraction and extension test, the landing gear operated normally, and no landing gear anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. Given this information, it is likely that the pilot failed to extend the airplane's landing gear before touchdown on the runway.

On July 19, 2019, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Beechcraft 95-B55, N386Q, was substantially damaged while landing at the Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Sanford, Florida. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by My Air Club LLC., as a personal flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight departed from SFB about 1200. According to the pilot, after being released for departure he started the takeoff roll, rotated and climbed to the traffic pattern altitude. He retracted the landing gear and started a turn to the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern the pilot extended the landing gear and deployed the flaps. He said that it was hard to see if the landing gear indicator light was illuminated, but he did confirm that he observed "one green." He said that the subsequent landing was "very smooth" until he heard the noise of the propellers striking the ground. He noticed that the left propeller was curled and pulled back on the yoke to allow the airplane to slide to a stop. Once the airplane came to a stop the pilot noticed flames coming from the underside of the airplane. The pilot exited the airplane and the airport fire department responded and extinguished the fire. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the inboard right and left wing was substantially fire damaged. The airplane was raised from the runway and the landing gear was manually extended from the up and locked position. After the main landing gear was down and locked the airplane was towed to the ramp area. The main landing gear doors and the underside of the airplane were heavily scraped. A review of airport surveillance video showed the airplane on short final with the landing gear in the up position. Surveillance video also showed the airplane during the landing flare with the landing gear stowed prior to touch down. During further examination of the airplane, a landing gear retraction and extension test was performed. Power was supplied to the airplane, and the landing gear operated normally when lowered and raised. No landing gear anomalies were noted with the landing gear assembly during the gear extension and retraction test.