C17 Slid 4500 Feet With Gear Retracted

The bigger they are, the longer they... skid.

The Air Mobility Command has released the results of its investigation into the Jan. 30 mishap involving a C-17 Globemaster III that landed with retracted gear at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The Accident Investigation Board, convened by AMC officials, concluded the primary cause of the mishap was the failure of the pilots to lower the landing gear and confirm proper aircraft landing configuration in accordance with the before landing checklist.

The AIB president also found that aircrew distractions, task saturation, reduced cockpit visual cues, failure of the flight crew to cross-monitor each other's performance, the tower's failure to transmit a required reminder, and the crew's inadvertent disabling of the ground proximity warning system alerts contributed to the mishap.

The mishap occurred as the C17 was landing at Bagram Airfield during a combat airlift mission in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa operations.

The aircraft landed on the runway centerline with the landing gear retracted and slid approximately 4,500 feet before coming to rest on the runway. Crash, fire and rescue response was immediate, and there were no fatalities, injuries or damage to other property. However, damage to the aircraft's main landing gear and fuselage underbelly was significant.

FMI: www.af.mil