CORNELIA, GA, USA
N8865R
Bellanca 260 B
The pilot stated that he did not obtain much altitude and speed for the short flight. He also reported that the landing gear was not needed to slow the airplane down and was not extended on approach. The pilot reported that he forgot to extend the landing gear before landing, and he did not recall hearing the landing gear warning horn after the throttle was retarded. He also stated that after he exited the airplane and was about 50 feet away, the airplane burst into flames. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or component failures with the airplane.
On March 5, 2000, at 1145 eastern standard time, a Bellanca 260 B, N8865R, landed with the wheels up and burst into flames on runway 24 at the Habersham County Airport in Cornelia, Georgia. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot was not injured. The flight departed Canton, Georgia, at 1130. The pilot stated that during the short flight from Canton, he did not obtain much altitude and airspeed. He reported that the landing gear was not needed to slow the airplane down and was not extended on approach. According to the pilot, he forgot to extend the landing gear before landing, and did not recall hearing the landing gear warning horn after the throttle was retarded. The pilot also stated that after he exited the airplane and was about 50 feet away, the airplane burst into flames. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or component failures with the airplane.
The pilot's failure to use the checklist, resulting in a wheels-up landing and post-crash fire.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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