- Date
- July 28, 2017, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hondo, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N541GFSwearingen SA26
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170728010129A
- Case key
- 95717
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing.
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.
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 of a retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane reported that he landed with the landing gear extended. He added that, during the landing, the airplane bounced, and the "landing gear retracted and the aircraft settled onto its belly." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he "may have failed to deploy the landing gear" and did not recall hearing the gear warning horn. A flight instructor witness reported that, while his student was performing an engine run-up, he saw the airplane on final about 400 ft from the threshold with the landing gear retracted. He added that he thought the airplane was going to do a low approach, so he turned to check on his student, but when he looked back up, he saw "the [airplane] was on the runway" sliding. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that, when he arrived on scene, he observed the gear handle in the "up" position.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a retractable landing gear equipped airplane reported that he landed with the landing gear extended. He added that during the landing, the airplane bounced and the "landing gear retracted and the aircraft settled onto its belly". The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he "may have failed to deploy the landing gear" and does not recall hearing the gear warning horn. A flight instructor witness reported that, while his student was performing an engine run-up, he saw the airplane on final about 400 ft from the threshold with the landing gear retracted. He added that he thought the airplane was going to do a low approach, so he turned to check on his student, but when he looked back up, he saw "the [airplane] was on the runway" sliding. The Federal Aviation Administration Inspector reported that when he arrived on scene, he observed the gear handle in the up position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N541GF
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA26 (AT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T26-173
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 7,205.2
- Engines
- Honeywell TPE331-6-252, 665 horsepower, turbo propHoneywell TPE331-6-252, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Fmg Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Fmg Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 12, 2016
- Departed
- 5C1 · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- HDO · Hondo, TX
- Airport
- HDO · South Texas Rgnl At Hondo, runway 17L, 6,002 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 27, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,336 total · 43 in this make and model · 1,211 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KHDO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 16, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.