The Gulfstream G450 took off from Salzburg Airport, Austria, at 10:12, bound for Bangor International Airport, Maine, USA.

A few seconds after taking off from runway 33, the landing gear lever was selected to the Up position. About 20 seconds later, the crew discovered that the landing gear had not retracted. The landing gear remained in the Down & Locked position because the landing gear safety pins were set. The crew suspected that the safety pins were still set and decided to land back at Salzburg Airport, which was carried out on runway 15. After a flight time of about 5 minutes, the aircraft left the runway at about 10:17 on taxiway E. They were instructed by the control tower to taxi back to the parking area (apron).

The aircraft was stopped shortly after taxiing on taxiway E, as the crew noticed an increased rolling resistance of the aircraft, whereby the crew suspected a burst tyre. The crew decided to check directly at the taxiway whether the safety pins were still on the landing gear, to remove them if necessary and to check whether a tire was defective. The control tower of Salzburg Airport was not informed about this by the pilots. The co-pilot opened the cabin door and left the aircraft to perform these checks. Meanwhile, the pilot left the cockpit to inform the passengers in the cabin of the situation.

At 10:20 and 10:22, the Salzburg Tower controller tried without success to make contact with the aircraft's crew. An aircraft passing taxiway L informed the controller about a person on the taxiway who had left the aircraft in question.

The co-pilot, who had gone to the landing gear, recognized that the safety pins were installed and tried to remove them. When this attempt failed because hydraulic pressure was applied to the landing gear cylinder and the safety pin was jammed, he operated the landing gear door control valves of the nose and main landing gear several times and installed the landing gear doors control valve pins. This closed the landing gear doors, the main cylinders of the hydraulics of the main and nose landing gear were depressurized and the safety pins could be removed. After the co-pilot removed the nose landing gear door pin, the nose landing gear doors opened and the nose landing gear folded at about 10:30. The aircraft nose lowered and hit the taxiway. 5 to 10 seconds later the engines were switched off.

No indication could be found that both the Landing Gear Failure to Retract and the Attempted Landing Gear Retraction with Safety Pins Installed Checklist were executed from the time the installed Safety Pins were detected until the time of the accident.

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency: UUS Austria Status: Investigation ongoing Accident number: BMVIT-85.245/0001-IV/SUB/ZLF/2018

Classification:

Sources:

Photos



accident date:

type: Gulfstream G450

registration: N667HS accident date:type: Gulfstream G450registration: N667HS

Video, social media

Flugzeugnotlandung in Salzburg |

Ein amerikanisches Privatflugzeug musste am Dienstagv... https://t.co/GYvG06iH1v pic.twitter.com/DHOBpSt8nT  ORF TVthek (@ORF_TVthek) 11 april 2017

Map

not display the exact flight path.

Distance from Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport to Bangor International Airport, ME as the crow flies is 5946 km (3716 miles).

This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports doesdisplay the exact flight path.Distance from Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport to Bangor International Airport, ME as the crow flies is 5946 km (3716 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Networks opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.