What happened
On October 3, 2018, a Beechcraft F-33-A (Bonanza), registration EC-COS, was conducting a flight training mission under visual flight rules (VFR) at the Fuentemilanos aerodrome in Segovia, Spain. The flight, operated by European Aviation College, S.A., had originally been planned as an instrument flight (IFR) from Salamanca to Valladolid, but the crew decided to divert to Fuentemilanos for a touch-and-go maneuver.
During the approach, the crew entered the traffic pattern at the base leg at an excessive altitude and speed. The student pilot, focused on maintaining airspeed and altitude, failed to complete the required approach and landing checklists. Crucially, the landing gear remained retracted. As the aircraft contacted the runway, the propeller struck the pavement, creating a loud impact. Believing the noise was caused by the tail striking the ground, the instructor applied maximum power to initiate a go-around. This sudden application of power, combined with the aircraft's pitch attitude, caused the aircraft to pitch up sharply and enter a stall. The aircraft subsequently impacted the left side of the runway and the runway strip, eventually coming to rest on its belly. Both occupants escaped without injury, though the aircraft sustained significant damage.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the aircraft's mechanical state, the flight crew's actions, and the operational procedures of the training organization. Investigators analyzed the propeller strike marks on the runway, which spanned 43 meters, and determined the engine was operating at a high RPM during the impact. The investigation also inspected the landing gear warning system and the flap mechanism. It was found that the landing gear warning sensor did not activate because the engine power setting remained above the threshold required to trigger the alert. Additionally, the investigation reviewed the instructor's and student's statements, noting that the instructor's attention was primarily focused on external traffic surveillance rather than monitoring the student's cockpit procedures.