Epic Aircraft Llc E1000 N44BN accident near Arcola, Texas

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he thought he put the landing gear down on the base leg of the traffic pattern before the landing. It was dark with no wind and his approach and landing flare were normal with no indication of any issues until the airplane began to vibrate and he heard noise from the propeller and saw sparks. The pilot realized he had forgotten to extend the landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage.

The pilot said that thinking back on the sequence of events that he could not recall hearing any type of aural warning from the avionics indicating that the landing gear was not extended. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN25LA087 for the full record.