Date:	Wednesday 14 December 2016
Time:	15:35
Type:	Cessna F177RG Cardinal RG
Owner/operator:	Trustee of the G-TOTO Flying Group
Registration:	G-TOTO
MSN:	F177RG-0049
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Denham Aerodrome, Gerrards Cross, near Denham, Buckinghamshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Denham Airport (EGLD)
Destination airport:	Denham Airport (EGLD)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to Cessna F177RG Cardinal RG, G-TOTO: Damaged in a wheels-up landing, Denham Aerodrome, Gerrards Cross, near Denham, Buckinghamshire, 14 December 2016. The pilot forgot to lower the undercarriage on final approach, and the landing gear warning horn did not function. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"The commander was conducting a revalidation of the handling pilot’s SEP" [Single Engine Propeller] "class rating. As part of this training flight, a flapless circuit to Runway 24 was flown and the handling pilot raised the landing gear on the crosswind leg, just prior to turning downwind. The commander reported that raising the landing gear was not standard procedure in the aircraft when flying circuits, and that she intended to tell the handing pilot to lower it once the gear had finished travelling.

A protracted period of radio communication from two aircraft ahead of G-TOTO in the circuit distracted the handling pilot from lowering the landing gear, and the commander from noticing that it had not been lowered. Further distraction was caused by an aircraft joining the circuit overhead, and consequently the landing gear was not lowered as part of the downwind checks. The commander reported that the low sun angle and attention to trees on the flapless approach demanded greater attention than normal, and the landing was completed without selecting the landing gear DOWN.

After the aircraft was recovered, a maintenance inspection revealed that the landing gear warning horn was not working.

=Damage to airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report "Damage to propeller, engine and fuselage", The aircraft was repaired and returned to service, as it was sold to new owners on 4 July 2017.

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/587dfc20e5274a1303000154/Cessna_F177RG_Cardinal_RG_G-TOTO_02-17.pdf
2. History as G-AZKH 1971-1982: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AZKH.pdf
3. History as G-OADE 1982-1985: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-OADE.pdf
4. Previous incident 9 February 2004: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ff0fed915d13740009af/G-TOTO_10-05_Corr.pdf
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denham_Aerodrome

Cessna F177RG Cardinal RG G-TOTO was built in 1972, having already been UK registered in advance as G-AZKH on December 8 1971. After passing through the hands of four owners as G-AZKH, the aircraft was re-registered on 20 May 1982 as G-OADE. After four further owners as G-OADE, the aircraft was re-registered for the third time, this time as G-TOTO, on 29 August 1989. As G-TOTO, the aircraft has had six consecutive owners from 1999 to 2017, the most recent from 4 July 2017, some six months after the above accident.

In July 1979 the aircraft was involved in a take-off accident which resulted in damage to the propeller, engine, nose and left main landing gears, and lower fuselage skin (see AAIB Bulletin 10/79). Following repair in May 1982 the aircraft was re-registered G-OADE. In April 1983 when the landing gear was selected down, no landing gear down and locked green light illuminated in the cockpit. The emergency landing gear lowering system was operated (a hydraulic hand pump) but there was still no \\\\'down and locked\\\\' indication. A visual examination from the ground indicated that the landing gear was fully extended. A successful landing was carried out whilst operating the hydraulic pump throughout. An engineering examination revealed that the right main landing gear down-lock latch pivot pin had failed in fatigue.

In April 1986 the aircraft was involved in a forced landing accident which resulted in damage to the propeller, nose and left main landing gears, and fuselage (see AAIB Bulletin 10/86). In August 1989 the aircraft was re-registered G-TOTO. In 2002 the aircraft had three maintenance checks carried out. During the first of these checks, at 909 airframe hours, the right main landing gear down-lock assembly was replaced. Due to the turnaround in staff and the lack of detail in the paperwork raised by a previous maintenance organisation, which was not located at the accident airfield, the reason for this replacement is not known.

During the second check, at 956 airframe hours, the left main landing gear down-lock microswitch actuating arm was replaced and during the third check, at 981 airframe hours, the main landing gear was re-rigged.

G-TOTO had been involved in a previous accident at Meppershall, Shefford, Bedfordshire on 9 February 2004 (see link #4 and separate ASN entry). By coincidence, this incident also involved an undercarriage failure during landing.

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

9 February 2004

G-TOTO

Trustee of the G-TOTO Flying Group

0

Meppershall Airfield, Shefford, Bedfordshire

sub

Cessna F177RG Cardinal RG G-TOTO at Denham Aerodrome, Buckinghamshire (EGLD) 25 March 2016

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Apr-2024 14:25	Dr. John Smith	Added
09-Apr-2024 14:25	ASN	Updated [Accident report]
10-Apr-2024 14:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Accident report]]