Piper PA-31 Gear Extension Failure at Teniente Vidal Aerodrome

Incident Overview and Flight Details On August 5, 2022, at 10:52 local time, a Piper PA-31 aircraft was conducting a non-scheduled passenger flight from Teniente Vidal Aerodrome (SCCY) to Chile Chico Aerodrome (SCCC) in Chile's Aysén Region. The aircraft was operated by a 66-year-old commercial pilot and carried five passengers. During the final approach to the destination, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear, but the right main gear did not lock into position. This was confirmed by the absence of the green 'down and locked' indicator light, which was also observed by air traffic control personnel. ## Emergency Return and Landing Following the gear malfunction, the pilot returned to the departure aerodrome, which served as the operational base. During the return flight, multiple attempts to extend and retract the landing gear were unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and landed on runway 03 at Teniente Vidal Aerodrome with the landing gear retracted. The aircraft came to a stop 500 meters from the runway threshold, tilted to the right, with all six occupants unharmed. ## Aircraft Condition and Damage The Piper PA-31, manufactured in 1976 with serial number 31-7612035, sustained significant damage from the gear-up landing. The fuselage experienced wear on the lower skin near the tail cone, and the right flap showed wear on its trailing edge. The nose gear doors were worn with material loss, while the left main gear doors were deformed, worn, and had lost material. Both propellers were deformed with tip damage. The aircraft's total airframe time was 13,077.9 hours at the time of the incident. ## Maintenance and Operational Context The aircraft had completed a 50-hour inspection on July 17, 2022, which included an inspection of the hydraulic actuators for the main landing gear to check for leaks and secure installation. No discrepancies were found during this maintenance. The pilot's logbook contained no records of related issues between the last inspection and the incident. The aircraft was fueled with 100 LL AVGAS, with 48 US gallons in each wing. ## Environmental and Technical Factors Weather conditions at the time of the incident were suitable for visual flight rules, with winds from 040 degrees at 5 knots and a barometric pressure of 30.17 inches of mercury. Communications with Coyhaique air traffic control were normal until the pilot notified them of the landing gear failure and declared an emergency. No flight recorders were installed on the aircraft. The investigation was conducted in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and Chilean regulations under DAR-13.