Short Bros SD3-60 N221LM

Summary

On 11 June 2025 at about 18:52 local time, a Short Bros SD3-60 registered N221LM, operated by Trans Executive Airlines of Hawaii Inc, was involved in an accident near Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. 5 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

11 June 2025 at 18:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Nearest airport

Daniel K Inouye International (HNL)

Coordinates

21.3083, -157.9228

Aircraft

Short Bros SD3-60

Registration

N221LM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1987

Engines

2

Operator

Trans Executive Airlines of Hawaii Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kona → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC25LA050

Nobody was injured.

The pilots’ failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilots’ failure to complete the Before Landing checklist.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The first officer, seated in the left seat for the purpose of nose wheel steering familiarization, and the captain, seated in the right seat, reported that the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane from Kona, Hawaii to Honolulu, Hawaii. The first officer reported that, while on approach to Honolulu, he called for flaps and gear down. Simultaneously, Honolulu tower requested them to, “slow down to slowest practical speed”. The pilots became distracted while initiating the reduction in airspeed and forgot to monitor the status of the landing gear. The captain reported that he did not verify that the gear was down. The airplane was equipped with tricycle landing gear featuring a fully retractable nose gear and partially retractable main gear. The pilots reported hearing the gear warning horn during the flare, at which time they glanced in and confirmed that the landing gear was retracted. The airplane landed gear up and the forward bottom section of the fuselage contacted the runway surface, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident operational check of the airplane’s landing gear revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.