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The instructor pilot and student pilot of a C172RG forget to place the gear down during a practice engine failure, high approach, after having to avoid opposite direction traffic on the same runway at spx, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 529493 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200111 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : spx.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 529493 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : nmac ground encounters : gear up landing incursion : runway non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 200 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Spx airport. I was doing a review flight in preparation for a commercial chkride with a student. I reduced the throttle on the C172RG to simulate engine failure. We were within power-off gliding distance from runway 31 and winds were calm with no one else reporting in the pattern. The student promptly did all the checklist items while controling the aircraft and heading toward the runway. The student made a comment about waiting until 'landing assured' to put the gear down. Everything was looking great. We were lined up with final and gliding in. We had been making radio calls and thought that we were the only ones in the pattern. Suddenly we saw a small biplane was heading directly at us. He had taken off on runway 13 with no radio calls. At this point, we were about 1 mi out still and slightly high. Both the student and I were startled, and I took control of the aircraft. We went around the biplane and continued with the landing. We were slightly high. After asking the student if they could slip it in, I was asked to demonstrate. I continued the landing with a slip down. I failed to doublechk the gear. I thought the student had done it. The student thought I had done it. We were both preoccupied with the near miss and the slip. Neither of us heard the gear warning horn because its volume was too low to be audible. I was so sure that the gear was down, when I heard a grinding noise, I thought it was our wheel bearings or brakes. When I realized what happened, I shut off all fuel and electrical. A chain of events led to this incident, beginning with being startled by the unexpected traffic. This was followed by a breakdown in communication between the student and instructor about the gear. The faulty gear horn speaker also played a role, but is no excuse. Thankfully, no one was hurt and damage to the aircraft was minimal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT PLT OF A C172RG FORGET TO PLACE THE GEAR DOWN DURING A PRACTICE ENG FAILURE, HIGH APCH, AFTER HAVING TO AVOID OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC ON THE SAME RWY AT SPX, TX.
Narrative: SPX ARPT. I WAS DOING A REVIEW FLT IN PREPARATION FOR A COMMERCIAL CHKRIDE WITH A STUDENT. I REDUCED THE THROTTLE ON THE C172RG TO SIMULATE ENG FAILURE. WE WERE WITHIN PWR-OFF GLIDING DISTANCE FROM RWY 31 AND WINDS WERE CALM WITH NO ONE ELSE RPTING IN THE PATTERN. THE STUDENT PROMPTLY DID ALL THE CHKLIST ITEMS WHILE CTLING THE ACFT AND HEADING TOWARD THE RWY. THE STUDENT MADE A COMMENT ABOUT WAITING UNTIL 'LNDG ASSURED' TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN. EVERYTHING WAS LOOKING GREAT. WE WERE LINED UP WITH FINAL AND GLIDING IN. WE HAD BEEN MAKING RADIO CALLS AND THOUGHT THAT WE WERE THE ONLY ONES IN THE PATTERN. SUDDENLY WE SAW A SMALL BIPLANE WAS HDG DIRECTLY AT US. HE HAD TAKEN OFF ON RWY 13 WITH NO RADIO CALLS. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE ABOUT 1 MI OUT STILL AND SLIGHTLY HIGH. BOTH THE STUDENT AND I WERE STARTLED, AND I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT. WE WENT AROUND THE BIPLANE AND CONTINUED WITH THE LNDG. WE WERE SLIGHTLY HIGH. AFTER ASKING THE STUDENT IF THEY COULD SLIP IT IN, I WAS ASKED TO DEMONSTRATE. I CONTINUED THE LNDG WITH A SLIP DOWN. I FAILED TO DOUBLECHK THE GEAR. I THOUGHT THE STUDENT HAD DONE IT. THE STUDENT THOUGHT I HAD DONE IT. WE WERE BOTH PREOCCUPIED WITH THE NEAR MISS AND THE SLIP. NEITHER OF US HEARD THE GEAR WARNING HORN BECAUSE ITS VOLUME WAS TOO LOW TO BE AUDIBLE. I WAS SO SURE THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN, WHEN I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE, I THOUGHT IT WAS OUR WHEEL BEARINGS OR BRAKES. WHEN I REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED, I SHUT OFF ALL FUEL AND ELECTRICAL. A CHAIN OF EVENTS LED TO THIS INCIDENT, BEGINNING WITH BEING STARTLED BY THE UNEXPECTED TFC. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR ABOUT THE GEAR. THE FAULTY GEAR HORN SPEAKER ALSO PLAYED A ROLE, BUT IS NO EXCUSE. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT AND DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS MINIMAL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.