GULFSTREAM V, WEST PALM BEACH, FLA., FEB. 14, 2002–Gulfstream N777TY was substantially damaged when it made a hard landing at West Palm Beach International Airport (PBI). The NTSB determined the probable cause was maintenance personnel’s failure to remove wooden sticks from the landing gear weight-on-wheels switches, resulting in the airplane remaining in ground mode; and the in-flight deployment of the spoilers when the flight crew moved the thrust levers to idle during the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing. The GV, which was being operated by BB Five Inc., was on a Part 91 positioning flight in VMC and on an IFR flight plan. Neither the ATP-rated pilot nor copilot, the only occupants of the aircraft, was injured.
The crew had arrived at the West Palm Beach FBO at about 5:45 a.m., performed an exterior preflight and found everything “satisfactory,” according to their statement to the FAA investigator. They also told the investigator that during taxi to the active runway they performed the before-takeoff checklists as required.
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