What happened
On March 23, 2025, a Tecnam P 2006T, registration SP-ZNA, was conducting multi-engine commercial pilot license (CPL(A) MEP COMPLEX) training flights at EPBY. The crew, consisting of a student pilot and an instructor, had been performing maneuvers involving simulated engine power loss. Following a series of training flights, the aircraft landed on runway 08 with the landing gear retracted.
According to the crew, the aircraft had been configured for the landing phase with flaps in the takeoff position and the gear up. During the final approach, the crew performed a final checklist, which included verifying the gear position as "GEAR DOWN 3 GREEN." However, the gear remained retracted upon touchdown. After stopping on the runway near taxiway C, the crew notified AFIS of the gear-up landing. There were no injuries to the crew, though the aircraft sustained minor damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the cockpit procedures, the checklist execution, and the environmental factors present during the approach. The investigation established that while the crew verbally called out the gear position as down, there was no physical verification of the gear's extension. The investigation also reviewed the instructor's workload and the presence of other aircraft in the traffic pattern.
Findings
- The instructor failed to provide adequate supervision of the student's checklist execution, failing to verify the student's actions or react to deviations.
- The crew failed to achieve actual confirmation of the landing gear position despite verbally announcing "GEAR DOWN."
- The primary cause was the failure to extend the landing gear due to procedural error and a lack of effective oversight.
- The instructor experienced high cognitive workload, as they were focused on maintaining separation from a Cessna 150 operating in the same traffic pattern.
- The presence of aircraft with significantly different performance characteristics in the pattern contributed to the loss of situational awareness regarding the checklist.
Safety action
- The student and instructor were suspended from flight operations pending the conclusion of the investigation.
- The instructor is to undergo individual refresher training.
- Implementation of additional theoretical training regarding the operation and warning signals of the Tecnam P 2006T landing gear system.
- Crew Resource Management (CRM) training, specifically focusing on instructor-student dynamics in multi-engine aircraft.