What happened
On June 10, 2016, at 20:05 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration EC-LDH, was performing a flight test as part of a flight test and certification master's program at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The flight was intended to evaluate the aircraft's performance for aerial photography and short-field operations.
During the second landing attempt on runway 28 at Cuatro Vientos Airport, the aircraft experienced a series of four impacts with the runway. The first contact was light, followed by a bounce, and then two heavy impacts involving the nose gear. These impacts caused the nose gear strut to displace upward by 15 cm, which subsequently displaced the windshield frame and caused the pilot-side windshield to be ejected. The aircraft continued to slide for 230 meters, during which the propellers made contact with the runway surface, causing significant abrasion and deformation to the blades.
All four occupants, including the pilot and three students, were uninjured and evacuated the aircraft safely.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation focused on the sequence of impacts, the aircraft configuration, and the pilot's experience. Investigators analyzed radar tracks, cockpit video recordings, and the physical damage to the airframe.
The investigation examined the pilot's recent flight history, noting that the pilot had operated a Eurofighter earlier that same day. The investigation also reviewed the flight test program's protocols regarding pilot selection and flight procedures. The analysis revealed that the aircraft's nose gear assembly was compromised during the landing sequence, leading to the structural displacement of the forward fuselage components.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the aircraft's nose gear assembly was displaced, causing the windshield frame to shift and the propeller blades to strike the ground. The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the impact forces during the landing sequence, which were exacerbated by the pilot's decision-making during the landing phase.