Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On August 12, 2013, about 0700 mountain daylight time, a kit-built Lancair 360 airplane, N15EG, experienced a gear-up landing at the Hopkins Field Airport (KAIB) near Nucla, Colorado. The private rated pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from KAIB prior to the accident.

According to the pilot, after departure, he raised the airplane's landing gear and noticed that the left main gear had not retracted. He cycled the gear 2 or 3 times, but the left gear still appeared down. After the last cycling of the gear, he saw three green lights, indicating that all three landing gear were down and locked, so he decided to land. Just after touchdown and without warning, all three landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop off the right side of the runway.

The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, examined the airplane and reported that the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The inspector added that based on the marks on the gear doors, it appeared the landing gear were in the retracted position during the landing. The pilot’s failure to extend the airplane’s landing gear before landing.