Short Bros SD3 60 accident near Kapolei, Hawaii, June 30, 2015
On June 30, 2015 at about 5:44 am local time, a 1987 Short Bros SD3 60, registered N221LM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Kapolei, Hawaii (Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Field)). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots’ failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilots’ failure to complete the Before Landing checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2015 · about 5:44 am local time
- Place
- Kapolei, Hawaii · Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Field) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Short Bros SD3 60 VARIANT100, built 1987 · all SD3 60s on the register
- Registration
- N221LM · registry record · serial SH3722
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain/check pilot was conducting a scheduled flight check of the first officer. The pilots reported that the approach was uneventful and that they thought that they had completed the Before Landing checklist, which included extending the landing gear and verifying that it was down before landing. However, the airplane landed with the gear up. The airplane had a tricycle landing gear with a fully retractable nose gear and partially retractable main gear. During the landing roll, about a few hundred feet after touchdown on the main gear and as the airplane's nose was lowered, the forward bottom section of the fuselage contacted the runway surface, which resulted in substantial damage. Once the airplane came to a stop, the pilots safely egressed. The pilots reported that they landed the airplane with the landing gear inadvertently retracted.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Flight crew
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Flight crew
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,230 hours in all; 6,011 in this make and model; 129 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 17,954 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 18, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 272 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 16, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30,364.9 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 17, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 27,100 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6-67R (turboprop); 28,016 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6-67R (turboprop); 25,629 hours total
- Operator: Trans Executive Airlines Of Hawaii
The flight
- Departed from: HNL Honolulu HI at 4:50 am
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22L, 8,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from PHJR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N221LM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR15LA202.