- Date
- July 10, 2019, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palatka, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N805PADiamond DA 42 NG
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190710009839A
- Case key
- 99966
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 receiving instruction's failure to extend the landing gear and the flight instructor's failure to verify that the landing gear was extended due to distraction, which resulted in a gear-up landing.
Findings · 7
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 flight instructor in the retractable, landing gear-equipped airplane reported that the pilot receiving instruction was on the controls and that he told the instructor that he was feeling some motion sickness due to light turbulence in the pattern; the pilot corroborated the instructor's statement and stated that he was also fatigued. The instructor reported that, during their discussion, they became distracted and did not configure the airplane for landing; the pilot reported that they did not complete the landing checklist. Subsequently, the airplane landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both engine gear boxes. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor in a multi-engine, retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that, the pilot receiving instruction was on the controls, and reported feeling some fatigue and motion sickness due to light turbulence in the pattern. During their discussion they were distracted and did not complete the landing checklist and did not configure the airplane for landing. Subsequently, the airplane landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both engine gear boxes. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N805PA
- Reported as
- Diamond DA 42 NG (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42.321
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 6,285.2
- Engines
- Astro E4-B, 167 horsepower, reciprocatingAstro E4-B, 167 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Phoenix East Aviation
- Registered owner
- Bravo Leasing Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2019
- Departed
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- 28J · Palatka, FL
- Airport
- 28J · Palatka Muni - Lt Kay Larkin F, runway 17, 3,510 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 30, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 233 total · 18 in this make and model · 148 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 2,700 total · 1,119 in this make and model · 2,595 as pilot in command · 283 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- K28J
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 26, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.