Unstable approach involving a Beech Aircraft B200C, near White Cliffs, New South Wales, on 15 July 2025

What happened

On 15 July 2025, the pilot of a Beech Aircraft Corp B200C aircraft, undertaking a medical transport flight, was conducting a required Navigation Performance Approach to runway 12 at White Cliffs Airport, New South Wales.

The pilot reported that, after becoming visual 200 ft above the approach minimum, they commenced their landing checks and identified that they had not extended the landing gear. They started actions to lower the landing gear as the Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) aural annunciation TOO LOW GEAR began. After the pilot then checked airspeed, rate of descent and tracking, they decided to extend the landing gear and continue the approach. The aircraft landed without further incident. 

When the aircraft is not in landing mode, the TAWS system monitors the radio altitude, landing gear configuration, landing flaps configuration and airspeed, and generates a caution alert if there is insufficient terrain clearance. A TOO LOW GEAR caution is generated when radio altitude and airspeed are within the Too Low Gear envelope and the landing gear is not in a correct landing configuration. When generated, the caution annunciator lights, and TOO LOW GEAR is announced over the audio system. This caution is annunciated for as long as the condition exists.

The operator was able to determine that the TAWS alert began at a radio altitude of 469 ft and continued until a radio altitude of 374 ft. According to the operator’s stable approach criteria, the aircraft should have been completely configured for a landing by 500 ft. As this was not the case, the pilot should have conducted a missed approach when the TOO LOW GEAR caution was generated.

Safety message

The ATSB continues to stress the risks associated with unstable approaches. The Flight Safety Foundation cites a lack of go-arounds from unstable approaches as the number one risk factor in approach and landing accidents. The prompt execution of a go‑around will significantly reduce this risk.

About this report

Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.