Piper PA-23 Aztec CS-AGW Accident at Tires Municipal Aerodrome

Incident Overview and Flight History On June 3, 2004, a Piper PA-23 Aztec, registration CS-AGW, operated by Leávia – Escola de Aviação Civil, S.A., departed from runway 35 at Tires Municipal Aerodrome at 08:00 UTC. The aircraft was conducting a training flight focused on asymmetric power maneuvers and emergency procedures, carrying a pilot-instructor and a student pilot. The flight was part of a multi-engine qualification course and included simulated single-engine approaches and landings. ## Sequence of Events At approximately 11:15 UTC, the student pilot, seated on the left, initiated an approach to runway 35 while simulating a right engine failure. During the flare for landing, the student pilot moved the left engine throttle to idle, which triggered the landing gear-up warning. Simultaneously, the tower issued an immediate go-around instruction. Both pilots observed the propeller blades contacting the runway surface. The pilot-instructor took control, applied full power to both engines, executed a circuit, and landed the aircraft. ## Damage and Investigation Findings Following the landing, investigators found that the tips of the right engine propeller blades were bent, while the left engine propeller blades were cut. A scrape was also noted on the left main landing gear door, though it did not affect the door's shape or functionality. The runway showed marks from the propeller contact. The pilot-instructor reported that the appropriate pre-landing checklist was not completed, specifically the item requiring the landing gear to be lowered and verified by three green indicator lights. The aircraft's response to power was noted as slower than normal, consistent with the propeller damage. ## Personnel and Operational Context The pilot-instructor was 38 years old, held a commercial pilot license, and had 2,183 hours of total flight experience, including 104 hours on the aircraft type. The student pilot was 28 years old, held a private pilot license, and had 833 hours of total flight experience, with 4.5 hours on the aircraft type. Both crew members were Portuguese nationals and held valid Class 1 medical certificates. Rest periods between flights complied with the operator's approved manual. The investigation concluded that the accident resulted from the failure to deploy the landing gear during the simulated emergency approach, leading to propeller contact with the runway.