Incident Involving a Socata TB 20 Trinidad GT at Évora Aerodrome (CS-DEE)

Overview and Flight History On 11 May 2005, at approximately 12:15 UTC, a Socata TB 20 Trinidad GT with registration CS-DEE departed runway 19 at Évora Aerodrome for a solo training flight. The aircraft was operated by a student pilot. During the flight, the pilot performed several touch-and-go landings for training purposes. On the penultimate circuit, the landing was hard, but the pilot did not notice any abnormal behavior from the aircraft and took off again. During the downwind leg, the pilot contacted the tower and stated the intention to perform another touch-and-go. However, the tower instructed the pilot to make a full-stop landing due to deteriorating weather conditions, as decided by the training center. The final landing was made without incident, and the aircraft was parked. During the after-parking checklist, the pilot noticed that the propeller tips were bent. ## Aircraft and Personnel The aircraft was a four-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane with a semi-monocoque metal construction. It was powered by a six-cylinder Lycoming engine producing 250 horsepower at 2,575 rpm and equipped with a two-blade fixed-pitch Hartzell propeller. The aircraft's documentation was valid, and maintenance schedules had been followed. The student pilot was a 28-year-old Dutch female with a total of 142:35 flight hours, all on the type. Her pilot license and medical certificate were valid at the time of the incident. ## Investigation Findings The investigation determined that the aircraft and pilot documentation were valid. The pilot was in the final phase of her training course and was accumulating flight hours required for the examination. The landing speed was reported to be 80 knots, which was within the recommended final approach speed range of 86 to 92 KIAS according to the Pilot's Operating Handbook. The wind at the time was from 190 degrees at 10 knots, resulting in a crosswind component of only 2 knots. Weather conditions were adequate for flight and were not a contributing factor to the incident. The training session was interrupted solely due to significant deterioration in weather conditions. ## Cause and Recommendations The investigation concluded that the incident was caused by deficient piloting technique, which resulted in a hard landing and the propeller striking the ground. No safety recommendations were issued.