Dornier Gmbh ALPHA JET N2165 accident near Sacramento, California

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s and the flight instructor’s failure to adequately monitor the workload.

NTSB analysis

The pilot-under-instruction planned a visual, simulated no-flap approach and landing during an instructional flight in a twin-engine advanced jet trainer. Audio data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the pilot requested a left closed traffic, simulated no-flap pattern and stated that he needed to go out about 4 miles upwind. By the time the air traffic tower controller responded, the pilot had already started the crosswind turn; therefore, the controller cleared him to the overhead pattern, left closed traffic. Subsequently, the controller initially instructed the pilot to make the base turn when able but then instructed him to turn immediately to be sequenced in front of slower traffic on a 5-mile final approach. The controller stated that he would give the pilot the 4 miles he requested on the next pattern. The pilot accepted the turn clearance and reported to the controller that he was turning. A review of radar data indicated that, during the final turn, the airplane overshot the final approach by over 1,800 ft to the northwest. Subsequently, the airplane landed on its belly and sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. A postlanding fire ensued.

The filed company report stated that flying a no-flap approach and landing required maintaining a higher airspeed during the final turn, and when established on final approach, the airspeed had to be quickly bled off. The higher approach speed, difficulty of maintaining airspeed, and the early turn to final increased the pilot's workload during the simulated no-flap pattern. While on final approach, the pilot extended the air brakes, which are typically extended just before lowering the landing gear but failed to extend the landing gear. The flight instructor failed to notice the omission, which resulted in a gear-up landing. The pilots 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 WPR18CA172 for the full record.