Russian investigators: Air Samara pilots blamed for landing accident

Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) has blamed Air Samara pilots for the hard landing accident of a Beechcraft B300 on Nov. 25, 2014.

The aircraft, which belongs to State Transport Leasing Co., made a hard landing without gear at Samara Kurumoch International Airport. There were no passengers on board during the technical flight and the pilots were not injured.

According to IAC statement, the crew missed the standard operation of gear extension while landing and did not respond the alarm warning the landing gear was not extended, which led to the hard landing without gear. The aircraft rolled off the runway and was seriously damaged.

Authorities accused the carrier of failing to comply with rules on flight information collection and analysis. Air Samara’s air operator’s certificate was suspended shortly after the incident and canceled in February 2015.