- Date
- February 16, 2018, 18:35 local (23:35 UTC)
- Place
- Locust Grove, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N551ZLHarris Pierce Velocity XL RG
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180216002649A
- Case key
- 96816
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 due to his distraction by talking on the radio, which resulted in a gear-up landing.
Findings · 4
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 reported that, his first approach to land in the airplane was a little fast and high, so he raised the gear and applied full power for the go-around. During the second approach, he was talking with a person on the ground over the radio. Subsequently, he got distracted and landed with the landing gear in the up-and-locked position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge that the gear-up warning switch had been disabled.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, his first approach to land in the airplane was a little fast and high, so he raised the gear and applied full power for the go-around. On the second approach he was talking with a person on the ground over the radio. Subsequently, he got distracted and landed with the landing gear in the up and locked position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge that, the gear up warning switch had been disabled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N551ZL
- Reported as
- Harris Pierce Velocity XL RG (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3RX025
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 340
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 9, 2018
- Departed
- X26 · Sebastian, FL
- Destination
- GA04 · Locust Grove, GA
- Airport
- GA04 · Mallards Landing, runway 25, 4,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 28, 2017
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 625 total · 12 in this make and model · 550 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- K6A2, 10 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 9, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.