Covering form of preliminary or final report
| Date of event : | 2018-09-04 |
| Incident number : | |
| Report : | Final report |
| Place of event : | LKTB - Brno-Turany airport |
| Registration mark : | Accident |
| Weight category MTOM: : | <2250 kg |
| Type of operation : | Recreational and sport aviation |
| Plane / SFM : | Airplanes |
| Type of plane / SFM : | Zlín Z-526 F |
| Health effects of event : | Without injury |
| PDF document : | 
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Description:
Overview
On 4th September 2018, the aircraft pilot landed at LKTB on grass RWY 26 without undercarriage extended. The aircraft stopped on the RWY after a short run. Only after the flare, the pilot found out that the extension of the undercarriage had not taken place. The RWY surface and the landing technique caused only a minor damage to the aircraft. Nobody was injured during the air accident.
Factual Information
On 4th September 2018, the aircraft pilot took off at 16:25 from LKTB for a familiarisation flight with another person on board. The flight was proceeding in a standard manner without any extraordinary events. When returning to LKTB, having been given clearance for landing, the pilot decelerated to less than 140 km/h and was carrying out the necessary tasks. Nevertheless, instead of extending the undercarriage he switched off the main electric circuit breaker, which is located on the control board right next to the undercarriage control switch. Since shortly afterwards he extended the flaps and the aircraft was decelerating, the pilot was convinced that the undercarriage was extended, and he continued approaching. He failed to check the signalling lights and mechanical alarms. Landing flare and floating were performed in a standard way. When the pilot found out that the undercarriage had not been extended, it was too late to take another landing circle. The aircraft touched down smoothly with fuselage lower part onto RWY and came to a full stop after several dozen metres. The engine stopped immediately after the propeller touched the ground.
Analysis
The weather was suitable for the flight performance and no dangerous meteorological phenomena occurred at the given location.
The aircraft pilot held the necessary valid qualification, and had considerable piloting experience with other aircraft types as well, including jet planes. The pilot was medically fit to fly.
The maintenance and operation of the aircraft had been performed in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements. The aircraft had not been showing any signs of defect; both, prior to the accident and during the event flight, it was operating and airworthy.
Immediately after the incident, the pilot stated that a human error had occurred in performing the required operation steps before the landing. In consequence of rapid performing of all the operation steps sequence, during which the supposed undercarriage extension took place (in fact the source of electric power was cut off), followed immediately by the flaps extension, the pilot was perceiving aircraft behaviour (slight deceleration with a slight change in the pitch) as indicating a supposed undercarriage extension.
The propeller, the front engine cover, and the cooling air intake of the aircraft sustained damage after landing. Further, the bottom part of the engine cover and the right as well as the left flap around ribs No. 2 were damaged. The engine was brought to stall by force during the landing.
The undercarriage was not extended due to the mistaking of the main power circuit breaker for the switch controlling the undercarriage extension and retraction.
Causes
The cause of the incident was a human error on the pilot’s part occurring during the performance of the required operating steps prior to the landing when the pilot specifically did not follow the methodology of the required steps of operation during the landing approach and did not visually check their proper execution.
Attached final report in PDF file is in original Czech language.