| Occurrence Briefs are concise reports that detail the facts surrounding a transport safety occurrence, as received in the initial notification and any follow-up enquiries. They provide an opportunity to share safety messages in the absence of an investigation. |
What happened
On 7 August 2018, at about 1120 Central Standard Time, a Cessna 210M was departing Mount Ive, South Australia, for aerial work with only the pilot on board.
During initial climb from runway 04 after retracting the landing gear and turning onto a left crosswind leg, the pilot detected an abnormal engine noise described as popping and a reduction in engine power. The pilot adjusted the throttle that did not result in any improvement. The pilot then turned the aircraft toward runway 17 and slowed the aircraft sufficiently to extend full flap. During landing, the pilot flared, and the aircraft skidded down the runway. The landing gear was left in the retracted position. The cause of the abnormal engine indications was not able to be determined.
Pilot comments
The pilot stated that he did hear a noise during the approach, however, was not familiar with the sound of the landing gear warning horn. This in addition to the high workload and pressure of landing the aircraft contributed to the landing gear not extended prior to landing.
Safety message
During times of high workload, simple tasks such as selecting the landing gear could be unintentionally omitted. Pilots should be mindful that during an abnormal situation that all normal pre landing checks are completed. Pilots should also be familiar with all aircraft systems and warning devices.
For more information about managing partial engine failures after take-off, see ATSB research report, Avoidable Accidents No. 3 - Managing partial power loss after take-off in single-engine aircraft
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.