Landing gear failure during flight examination leads to aircraft belly scrape

Casualties unknown • Zielona Góra (EPZG), PL

A Tecnam P2006T aircraft sustained damage to its fuselage and antennas after landing with its landing gear retracted during a flight test at EPZG.

What happened

On October 17, 2023, a Tecnam P2006T, registration SP-SMV, was involved in a landing incident at EPZG. The flight was an examination for a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) with Multi-Engine Piston (MEP) and Instrument Rating (IR) privileges. The crew consisted of an examiner and a student pilot.

After an initial repositioning flight, the crew requested and received permission from Tower control to perform two additional touch-and-go maneuvers. Following the first successful touch-and-go with flaps deployed, the examiner instructed the student pilot to perform a second landing without the use of flaps.

During the approach for this second landing, the student pilot failed to extend the landing gear or verify the three green lights indicating the gear was locked in the down position. Although the aircraft maintained a higher speed than normal due to the clean configuration, the student pilot believed the approach profile was correct and focused on correcting the glide path. During the landing roll, the crew heard the sound of the lower fuselage scraping against the runway surface. Upon inspection, it was confirmed that the aircraft had landed with the gear retracted. There were no injuries to the crew.

The investigation

The PKBWL investigation examined the aircraft's technical condition and the crew's actions. Post-incident inspections revealed that the landing gear system was fully functional, and the gear was subsequently extended and the aircraft towed to a hangar. The inspection identified damage to the lower fuselage skin and several broken antennas underneath the aircraft.

Investigators reviewed the cockpit procedures and found that the student pilot failed to follow the required checklist items regarding gear extension and verification. Furthermore, the investigation looked into the aircraft's audible warning system, which is designed to alert the crew if the gear is up while throttles are at idle or flaps are in landing configuration. The crew did not recognize the warning during the approach.

Probable cause

The primary cause of the incident was the student pilot's improper distribution of attention during the approach, focusing on glide path corrections rather than cockpit checklists, compounded by insufficient oversight of the student's actions by the examiner.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2023-10-17 Tecnam P2006T accident near Zielona Góra (EPZG), PL?

A Tecnam P2006T aircraft sustained damage to its fuselage and antennas after landing with its landing gear retracted during a flight test at EPZG.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2023-10-17 involved a Tecnam P2006T, registration SP-SMV, operated by Smart Aviation, at Zielona Góra (EPZG), PL.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The primary cause of the incident was the student pilot's improper distribution of attention during the approach, focusing on glide path corrections rather than cockpit checklists, compounded by insufficient oversight of the student's actions by the examiner.

Investigation report by the Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation (PKBWL). Original record: https://pkbwl.gov.pl/raporty/2023-0076/. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the Panstwowa Komisja Badania Wypadkow Lotniczych (PKBWL), Poland.

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