- Date
- March 11, 2005, 17:20 local (Mar 12, 2005, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Blythe, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N333WFMitsubishi MU-2B-26A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050311004119A
- Case key
- 61552
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 lower the landing gear prior to landing. A factor to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention due to the flap system anomaly.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot failed to lower the landing gear prior to touching down on the runway. The pilot said that during the approach into the airport, the flaps would not lock into the 20-degree extended position. The pilot decided to execute a no-flap landing and referred to the emergency checklist. The checklist advised the pilot to extend the landing gear; however, the pilot skimmed over the information thinking that the gear was already down and locked, and focused on the stabilized approach into the airport. The airplane touched down with the gear in the retracted position. No mechanical malfunctions were noted with the landing gear system on the airplane and a ground test run of the flaps did not reproduce the failure encountered during flight.
Factual narrative
On March 11, 2005, at 1720 Pacific standard time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-26A, N333WF, landed with the landing gear retracted at the Blythe Airport, Blythe, California. Jaax Flying Service, Inc., was operating the privately registered airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135 as an on-demand air taxi flight. The airline transport pilot and three passengers were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed and activated. The pilot departed Banning Municipal Airport, Banning, California, about 1645.
In the pilot's written statement, he stated that during his approach into Blythe, the flaps were extended to 20 degrees but would not lock into position. The pilot decided to perform a no flap landing and referred to the emergency checklist. The checklist advised the pilot to extend the landing gear; however, the pilot skimmed over the information thinking that the gear was already down and locked, and focused on the stabilized approach into the airport. The airplane touched down with the gear in the retracted position.
According to the operator, the purpose of the first portion of the flight from Blythe to Banning was to transport a prisoner. On the return leg with one correctional officer and two nurses onboard, the pilot forgot to lower the landing gear prior to landing on runway 8. The damage to the airplane included internal rib damage near the belly of the airplane. No mechanical problems with the landing gear system were noted, and a ground test run of the flaps did not reproduce the flap locking failure encountered in flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333WF
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-26A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 387SA
- Engine
- Garrett TPE 331, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Jaax Flying Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Solitaire Investments
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BNG · Banning, CA
- Destination
- BLH · Blythe, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- BLH · Blythe, runway 8, 6,562 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,900 total · 942 in this make and model · 87 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 15 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- PSP, 70 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.