What happened
On February 23, 2010, a Diamond DA-42, registration A6-FTZ, was conducting a multi-engine instructor instrument rating skill test at Al Ain International Airport. The flight, operated by a local training organization, was manned by a flight examiner and an examinee pilot.
During the final stages of the flight test, the crew was performing a simulated asymmetric approach with a single engine failure. While on the downwind leg, the crew received instructions from Air Traffic Control to extend their downwind due to traffic. Following this, the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 01. As the aircraft approached the runway, it made contact with the surface without the landing gear being fully deployed. The aircraft's tail skid, propellers, and engine foot-steps struck the runway, followed by the lower portions of both engine cowlings. The aircraft eventually came to a stop near intersection B. There were no injuries to the crew.
The investigation
Investigators from the GCAA AAIS examined the aircraft's systems, the runway damage, and the flight crew's performance. The investigation reviewed the sequence of events leading from the simulated engine failure to the landing. The team analyzed the cockpit environment, including the operation of the landing gear warning horn and the pilot's interaction with the landing checklist. The investigation also looked into the maintenance and design of the aircraft's landing gear warning system and the physical damage sustained by the propellers, exhaust tubes, and engine cowlings.