Accident Overview
On 16 February 2018, at approximately 14:45 local time, a Diamond DA-42-NG twin-engine aircraft, registration EC-LUF, operated by Flight Training Europe, S.L., was involved in an accident at Sevilla Airport (LEZL). The aircraft was conducting touch-and-go landing exercises as part of a training flight. Both occupants, a student pilot and an instructor, were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the landing gear and fuselage.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Diamond DA-42-NG, a twin-engine piston training aircraft. It was owned and operated by Flight Training Europe, an approved training organization (ATO). The flight crew consisted of a student pilot and an instructor pilot. No other persons were on board. The specific qualifications of the crew are detailed in the investigation report, but no further analysis is provided here.
Flight Details
The flight was a local training sortie involving multiple touch-and-go landings on runway at Sevilla Airport. Meteorological conditions were reported as CAVOK, indicating good visibility and no significant cloud cover. The accident occurred during one of these landing attempts.
Accident Sequence
According to witness statements and recorded data, the aircraft was on final approach for a touch-and-go. During the landing roll, the landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to skid along the runway. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway. The crew reported no warning indications prior to the collapse. The emergency services responded, but no injuries were sustained.
Damage
The landing gear was partially or fully retracted upon touchdown, leading to structural damage to the gear itself and to the lower fuselage. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No other property damage occurred.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the probable cause of the accident was the incorrect configuration of the landing gear for landing, likely due to the pilot's lack of situational awareness of the actual gear position. A contributing factor was suspected nitrogen loss in the landing gear safety system, which may have rendered the gear position lights and warnings unreliable.