From January 2007 stated by passenger Paul Wingo, “There was a snow storm approaching in about an hour and we were doing a checkride. Because of possible ice, we had been flying with the gear down the entire time. We started doing touch and goes after a while. Habit when you take off is to raise the gear. This is what happened. So, when we come around, they were conversing and what not and simply forgot the gear was up. Just pilot error.”
“And another thing, both these guys are seasoned pilots. They are excellent pilots. You just need to realize people make mistakes.”
“I didn’t realize what was happening until it happened. By then it was too late. There is no NTSB report because they do not consider this a big enough incident to report.”
I was blindly passed the link so I didn’t know the backstory and the whole time I’m watching it I’m thinking “will someone please pull the gear warning silence switch.”
I thought the same thing as mduell! On the Boeing 727 there is a pull mechanism for the FE to silence after nodding to the Captain to make sure that he is aware of the landing gear not being down.
First of all, I can think of no good reason why would someone decide to leave the gear down if there is possible icing conditions.
Second, how can they ignore the warning horn the whole way down final? That horn is there for that very reason, so you don’t forget. I have 43 hours in a skylane RG. I always try to fly so that you never hear the warning horn during normal situations (like when reducing power below a certain value). You don’t want to get used to hearing that sound all the time.
Yes, it can happen to anyone, but come on, THREE people didn’t notice the horn, or the fact that the gear isn’t down!? (all it takes is a look out the window in the skylane)
I’m sitting here watching this video just dreading what I know is about to happen. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
(How is it possible to not hear that totally blaring and annoying beeping sound??? If had to listen that all the way down final… I’d elbow the pilot like he’s slipping it for wind correction on a 10 mile final.)
The problem is that they weren’t “minding the store.” They were both sitting there B.Sing about some random nonpertinent stuff and completely ignored a totally obvious warning horn. I hate seeing guys bust up their airplanes but in this case, these two morons got exactly what they deserved.
I wonder how loud that warning horn would be if the pilots were wearing noise-cancelling headsets. That might explain how they could ignore it all the way down final.
Actually, Noise cancelling headsets would have made it EASIER to hear the warning. As they cancel out cycling bass type frequencies, like engine noise, and cabin roar.
I was sitting at the departure runway hold line at DVT one day waiting for a Bonanza on final approach. He kept continuing his approach with no gear… I keyed up on freq. as he crossed the threshold and asked him if he knew that his gear was up. He leveled at 50’ ft, the gear popped out and he continued with the landing… At least I got a thank you…
I tried to tell someone to put the gear down once. I wasn’t fast enough…
It was our school’s seneca. Thing when sliding down the runway with about 10 people standing around watching it go by. I think that was the third time in that airplane’s sorted history that it’s been landed gear up, including and excursion through a soybean field. Poor thing. It’s most recent incident was a run-in with a Yak-52 that lost pneumatic pressure for the brakes during taxi. The Yak wing cut a clean slice in the rear fuselage and the prop of the yak did short work of the aileron/wingtip. It’s since been fixed and it back flying. Yak needed a new prop (wood props) but the wing was completely undamaged!
Saw another guy almost land gear up but once again another astute pilot holding short told him to go around. He was already in the flare, very close call. Guy bought the other guy a steak dinner that night. (he got off light!)
