ERA20CA148

NTSB accident investigation · Aero Commander 500 · Opalocka, FL · March 27, 2020

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
March 27, 2020, 00:15 local (04:15 UTC)
Place
Opalocka, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N516DTAero Commander 500
Defining event
Landing-aborted after touchdown: Landing gear not configured
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report August 27, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20200327009259A
Case key
101156

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear due to distraction and his delayed go-around, which allowed the airplane to get too low and contact the runway with the landing gear retracted.

Findings · 2

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Performance/control parameters: configurationAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAero Commander 500-B: 1 caseAll aircraft: 80 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot reported that, during the descent to final, he began the GUMPS checklist. As he turned on the fuel tanks, he picked up interference on the radios. After fixing the radio situation, he continued the checklist. During the landing flare, he noticed that the "runway sight picture" seemed lower than normal. As he noticed this, he looked at the landing gear indicator, and the landing gear warning horn simultaneously sounded, so he initiated a go-around. While climbing to traffic pattern altitude, he noticed that he had failed to extend the landing gear. He added that he had not heard or felt the airplane contact the runway before the go-around. The pilot subsequently landed without incident and noted no damage during a cursory postflight inspection. He then departed and landed at another airport. Subsequently, he performed a more thorough postflight inspection of the airplane, during which he noticed that the marker beacon antenna was shaved off and that the lower fuselage of the airplane had sustained substantial damage consistent with ground contact.

Factual narrative

At the conclusion of an uneventful flight, the commercial pilot approached the runway for landing. During the landing flare, the airplane landing gear warning horn activated, so the pilot initiated a go around. While climbing to traffic pattern altitude he noticed that the landing gear handle was in the up position. He did not hear or feel the airplane contact the runway. The pilot subsequently landed and departed without incident; however, after landing at another airport he performed a more thorough post-flight inspection of the airplane. He then noticed that the marker beacon antenna was shaved off and the lower fuselage had sustained substantial damage consistent with ground contact.

Aircraft

Registration
N516DT
Reported as
Aero Commander 500 (B)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1574
Built
1965
Airframe hours
25,876
Engines
Lycoming IO540-E145, 290 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO540-E145, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 135
Operator
Central Airlines Inc
Registered owner
Central Airlines Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
AAIP · February 18, 2020
Departed
VDF · Tampa, FL
Destination
OPF · Miami, FL
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
OPF · Miami-Opa Locka Executive, runway 12, 6,800 × 150 ft, asphalt
Equipment
ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
53
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 7, 2020
Seat
Left
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
2,156 total · 1,093 in this make and model · 1,980 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night
Wind
140° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 68 °F
Altimeter
30.04 inHg
Observed at
OPF

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 27, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.