Accident Details
On June 25, 2023, a Piper PA-34-220T aircraft, registration SP-TFC, operated by Targor Aviation Sp. z o.o. Sp. k., was conducting a training flight at Grądy airfield (EPGY). The flight was part of a training program for the multi-engine piston (MEP(L)) rating, focusing on emergency procedures with one engine inoperative.
After several circuits with both engines operating, the crew began practicing landings with one engine shut down. The instructor feathered the right propeller while the student pilot performed an approach. The student did not extend the landing gear, and the instructor did not correct this. The left propeller struck the asphalt runway surface approximately 200 meters beyond the threshold of Runway 27 during the flare.
The instructor took control and applied maximum power to initiate a go-around. Despite this, the aircraft flew over the paved runway and touched down on grass with the gear still retracted. The landing roll on uneven terrain ended with a collision with a fence post and a tree. The aircraft sustained serious damage. Both pilots exited the aircraft unaided and were uninjured. Police and fire services were called to the scene.
Probable Cause
The accident was caused by the crew's failure to comply with landing procedures for one engine inoperative, specifically not extending the landing gear, which led to an excessively low approach, the left propeller striking the runway surface, and subsequent stall and impact.
Contributing Factors
The investigation identified contributing factors: insufficient coordination between instructor and student during the approach; the instructor's lack of corrective action on student errors; and the aircraft's advanced age, which may have reduced the landing gear warning horn volume or contributed to the crew not hearing it.