Skip to content

ERA13CA426

2013-09-22 · Pahokee, Florida, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PHK

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to ensure that the landing gear were extended during the simulated forced landing attempt. Contributing to the outcome was the pilot's decision to continue the aborted landing after the propeller had contacted the runway.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane was performing a simulated forced landing to the airport runway. As the airplane was in the landing flare, another pilot radioed that the accident airplane's landing gear was still retracted. About that time, the aft mounted propeller struck the runway and the pilot increased power in an attempt to abort the landing. The pilot subsequently lost control of the airplane and it impacted terrain to the side of the runway, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and flight instructor, and substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the wreckage following the accident revealed that the landing gear switch was selected to the "UP" position. The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane was performing a simulated forced landing to the airport runway. As the airplane was in the landing flare, another pilot radioed that the accident airplane's landing gear was still retracted. About that time, the aft mounted propeller struck the runway and the pilot increased power in an attempt to abort the landing. The pilot subsequently lost control of the airplane and it impacted terrain to the side of the runway, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and flight instructor, and substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the wreckage following the accident revealed that the landing gear switch was selected to the "UP" position.   Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action selection-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Gear extension and retract sys-Incorrect use/operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_ERA13CA426.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.