Incident Overview
On 24 August 2022, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration SP-ROY, was involved in a serious incident at EPML (Mielec Airport) during a training flight for a multi-engine piston land (MEPL) rating. The crew consisted of an instructor and a student. The aircraft sustained damage to the lower fuselage and propeller blades after contacting the runway during a go-around.
Sequence of Events
The pre-flight briefing and inspection were completed without any findings. The first take-off was followed by flight zone practice, including landing gear extension procedures, and several uneventful touch-and-go circuits. During the seventh circuit, while on the base-leg, the student moved the landing gear lever down. On short final, the instructor had doubts about the landing gear position indication and cycled the handle up and down multiple times. The student noted concerns about circuit breaker settings and could not see the nose wheel in the mirror. During the flare, the instructor decided to abort the landing, increased engine power, and took over control. Despite this action, the lower fuselage touched the runway and the propellers struck the concrete. After reaching a safe altitude, the instructor extended the landing gear using the alternate system, bypassing some Flight Manual steps. An aerodrome flight information officer confirmed the gear extension as the aircraft flew over the field. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the apron. The crew was uninjured.
Findings and Causes
Post-incident inspection revealed that the landing gear indication circuit breaker in the cockpit was switched off. Subsequent aircraft inspection and tests found no irregularities in the landing gear operation. The State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation determined two causes: (1) the pilot-in-command's late decision to abort the landing, and (2) failure to follow the Flight Manual procedure requiring verification of landing gear position before landing. A contributing factor was the possible omission of checklist items due to instructor routine.
Preventive Measures
The operator proposed developing an internal safety bulletin on aircraft with retractable landing gear and discussing the incident with instructors to emphasize checklist usage. No additional safety recommendations were formulated by the commission.