Swearingen SA26 N541GF

Summary

On 28 July 2017 at about 16:15 local time, a Swearingen SA26 registered N541GF, operated by FMG Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Hondo, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 July 2017 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Hondo, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

South Texas Rgnl At Hondo (HDO)

Coordinates

29.3592, -99.1678

Aircraft

Swearingen SA26

Registration

N541GF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1970

Engines

2

Operator

FMG Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Antonio → Hondo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA457

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB 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 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.