Spitfire Gear up @ Scone, 26 March 2026

[KRviator]

In a sad twist less than 48 hours before Warbirds Over Scone, one of the Spitfires has just landed gear-up on Runway 29. Wind at the 29 threshold was ~ 270 @ 11G25 - check out the pool stuff moving about and the windsock 'socking' as Mini-Me refers to it.

No prior warning was given of any problem, the emergency services went past well after the noise stopped.
 

 

[Aviation Photograph]

It was Paul Bennet from Paul Bennet Airshows, he forgot to lower the gear. BIG MISTAKE. Aircraft was owned by Pays Air Service. VH-IXF. Such a shame, huge structural and prop damage, with 20 hours on it after restoration.

[Aviation Photograph]

Thank god he is ok, there was no post impact fire.

[Marty_d]

That's an expensive mistake.

[440032]

Engine didn't even stop! Had to be shut down after the dust settled! (seen elsewhere)

[Student Pilot]

The wooden blades shear off with contact. Col was marshalled into a ditch when he got his first one going and broke off the blades. With a smaller engine breaking wooden blades is a lot better on the crankshaft the hitting with a metal prop, not sure about something like a Merlin.

[onetrack]

According to my info, all Spitfires had undercarriage lowered indicators, early ones were mechanical, later ones used lights. Why didn't this pilot have a checklist for gear down indication? Especially important with such a rare and valuable machine.

[KRviator]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

According to my info, all Spitfires had undercarriage lowered indicators, early ones were mechanical, later ones used lights. Why didn't this pilot have a checklist for gear down indication? Especially important with such a rare and valuable machine.

If I was a betting man, I'd put a carton of beer on him rushing to beat the approaching storm front after leaving his practice too late...

The KRviatrix and I were talking between ourselves - a "WTF is he still doing up there?!" kind of thing given what we were seeing at ground level - when I said I'm going to go watch him land and we saw him come in and put it down with the gear firmly in the wells, no indication of any problem and certainly no emergency services waiting in anticipation of a gear-up landing.

[Aviation Photograph]

Similar happened back in 2017 when Peter Clements trashed the Corsair at the Hunter Valley Airshow. Again Pete failed to conduct adequate pre landing checks, and verify correct gear extension position.