ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 239949
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| Date: | Wednesday 20 May 2020 |
| Time: | 10:15 UTC |
| Type: |  Rockwell Commander 114 |
| Owner/operator: | Romeo Whiskey Ltd |
| Registration: | G-BFXS |
| MSN: | 14271 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-T4B5D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Little Snoring, Norfolk -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Little Snoring, Norfolk |
| Little Snoring, Norfolk | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Rockwell Commander 114, G-BFXS: Written off (damaged beyond repair) in a Gear up landing, Little Snoring Airfield, Norfolk, 20 May 2020. The AAIB report into the incident was published on 13 August 2020, and the following is the summary from it:
"The pilot was planning to complete two landings at Little Snoring Airfield before flying to Old Buckenham Airfield in order to complete the required three landings in 90 days prior to flying with passengers. He took off from Runway 07 and completed the first circuit without incident. As he was flying downwind in the second circuit another pilot asked him to extend his circuit to allow them to takeoff. He extended downwind then made his approach to land. He thought he had completed his normal downwind checks, which would normally include extending the landing gear, and on final approach he made his normal “red, blue, greens” landing checks. However, on landing the propeller and fuselage struck the runway and he realised the landing gear was not selected down. The landing gear warning horn did not sound. The pilot was uninjured and was able to exit the aircraft unaided.
The pilot had not flown for several months and he thinks that the lack of recency combined with the distraction of extending the circuit caused him to forget to extend the landing gear. He believes that on final approach he glanced inside and saw the GPS green light and mistook it for the landing gear green lights.
The landing gear warning horn did not sound because the pilot had selected only partial flap, intending to complete a touch-and-go. The landing gear warning horn sounds when the landing gear is not down and either the flaps are extended beyond 25° or when the throttle is retarded below a position corresponding to a manifold pressure of approximately 14 inches of mercury."
Damage to airframe: Per the above AAIB report "Abrasions to the underside of the fuselage and left wing and damage to the propeller". The damage of the 43 years old (1977-built) airframe was presumably enough to render the aircraft as "beyond economic repair", as the CAA cancelled the registration G-BFXS on 6 July 2020 as "Permanently withdrawn from use"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB Final report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f104f98d3bf7f5bae19784e/Rockwell_Commander_114_G-BFXS_08-20.pdf
2. Flyer Magazine October 2020 page 48: https://issuu.com/flyerdigital/docs/flyeroctober2020?fr=sNjk5NDE4NzcwOTY
3. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-bfxs
4. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-BFXS/863726
5. https://www.airhistory.net/photo/116273/G-BFXS
6. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/G-BFXS
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Little_Snoring#Current_use
Media:
Cockpit and instrument panel of Rockwell Commander 114 G-BFXS (bottom left picture):
AAIB August Bulletin publishedhttps://t.co/Up6COEubyc pic.twitter.com/z4UyQ3vjUj
— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) August 13, 2020
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Aug-2020 18:46 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 13-Aug-2020 18:50 | harro | Updated [Source, Embed code, Accident report, ] |
| 17-Sep-2020 19:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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