Accident Summary
On June 29, 2021, at approximately 15:30 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registration EC-CMR, experienced a landing gear collapse during the landing roll at Casarrubios aerodrome (Toledo, Spain). The aircraft had departed from a private property in Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres) with only the pilot on board. According to the pilot, the approach to runway 08 was normal, with the three green lights indicating that the retractable landing gear was down and locked. After a smooth touchdown, during the landing roll, the left main landing gear leg collapsed. The left wing then contacted the runway surface, causing the aircraft to veer left and eventually exit the runway. The pilot, who was uninjured, exited the aircraft unaided. The aircraft was later towed to a hangar.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a Piper PA-28R-180 (Cherokee Arrow), a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-B1E engine. The aircraft's registration, EC-CMR, had been canceled by the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) on July 21, 2020, due to the absence of a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) since August 4, 2013. At the time of the accident, the aircraft did not possess a valid airworthiness certificate. Total airframe and engine hours were not provided by the pilot.
Investigation and Findings
The investigation was conducted by the Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC). Due to the lack of cooperation from the pilot, essential information regarding his age, license, ratings, medical certificate, and flight hours could not be obtained. A request to AESA for pilot data yielded no records in its flight crew licensing database. As a result, the investigation was unable to determine the cause of the landing gear collapse. No safety recommendations were issued.
The nearest meteorological station at Cuatro Vientos airbase (approximately 27 km northeast) reported at the accident time (13:30 UTC) wind from 190° at 2 knots, visibility greater than 10 km, and no significant cloud cover. However, weather at Casarrubios aerodrome itself was not available.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left main landing gear leg and minor damage to the left wing. No other property damage occurred.