Posted on 08/25/2005 8:18:54 AM PDT by linkinpunk
Ga. Pilots Forget to Put Down Landing Gear
Thu Aug 25, 8:02 AM ET
EASTMAN, Ga. - A twin-engine plane crash landed on its belly at the Eastman-Dodge airport after the two people on board forgot to put down the landing gear.
The Georgia Aviation Technical College plane slid to a halt after scraping down the runway around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Eastman Fire Chief Carl Johnson said.
"They didn't know they had a problem until they touched down," Johnson said.
An intern flight instructor and his teacher were practicing single-engine landing and forgot to lower the landing gear, said Johnny Payne, public affairs director with the college.
No one was hurt in the incident. The plane received only minor damage, Johnson said.
Payne credited the intern's quick thinking when he noticed the landing gear was still up, saying the pilot kept the plane level and did not panic.
"Praise Allah, but we never learned that part!"
"Uh, teach, does this mean I flunk?"
"The plane received only minor damage." Good Lord, what was the plane made of, rubber?
This is why all (good) pilots use checklists.
It's not uncommon for folks to forget to put down their gear. It's why you need to have an extra certification to be licensed to fly planes with retractable gear.
The short time between when the wheels *should have* touched the runway and then the belly of the plane does... is known as an "Ohnosecond".
First time I flew the MS Flight Simulator I pushed the Gear key while sitting on the runway. I hate that program.
Can you say "Pre-landing checklist?" And these were instructors????
As the old song goes........
"One toke over the Line"
As a pilot, I can attest that "flying is very unforgiving of mistakes"... :-)
When it takes full power to taxi to the ramp...you left the gear up.
A gear up landing is something no pilot ever wants to have to admit to another pilot about. Thankfully usually nobody gets hurt but the pilots ego.
I check at least four times before landing.
Chanting the GUMPS checklist mantra.
the U stands for "undercarriage".
The cost of repair will certainly be in the high five figures which depending upon the value of the plane could result in a writeoff.
If the pilot knows that his gear won't extend and can prepare, there are things that can be done to minimize damage, none of which apply in this case.
Flaps up: "Check"
Gear Down:
Gear Down:
GEAR DOWN?!:
This sounds like something I would do... while steering with my knees, with a cup of coffee in between my legs, a double cheese burger in one hand, changing the CD with the other hand, and talking on a cell phone.
Yeah, most of the damage was to the seats....ripped apart by the high pucker factor.
I did this once in a simulator during pilot training. I remember being vaugely irritated about that flashing light and beeping sound while I was concentrating on flying the approach...
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