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BFO90FA053

1990-06-02 · GAITHERSBURG, Maryland, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport GAI

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR, WHICH RESULTED IN A WHEELS UP LANDING; HIS IMPROPER DECISION TO ATTEMPT A GO AROUND (ABORTED LANDING) AFTER THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY; AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB AFTER LIFTOFF.

Factual narrative

WITNESSES NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 WITH THE GEAR UP. SOME OF THE WITNESSES RADIOED THE PILOT TO ALERT HIM OF THE GEAR POSITION, BUT HE DID NOT RESPOND. THE AIRPLANE LANDED GEAR UP, BUT SOON AFTERWARDS, IT BECAME AIRBORNE, CLIMBED ABOUT 30 FEET, AND DESCENDED IN A LEFT BANK. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND EAST OF THE RUNWAY AND CARTWHEELED; IT CAME TO A STOP ON AN ADJACENT TAXIWAY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WERE ABOUT 60 PROPELLER SLASH MARKS ON THE RUNWAY. AN AIRCRAFT EXAMINATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR REVEALED IT WAS IN A TRANSIT POSITION, WHICH WAS ABOUT THREE TURNS OF THE MANUAL GEAR HANDLE FROM THE FULL UP (RETRACTED) POSITION OF THE GEAR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_BFO90FA053.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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