What happened
On July 28, 2022, at Jerez Airport, Spain, a Piper PA-28R-200, registration D-EDJN, was performing a flight test for a commercial pilot license (CPL) skill test. The crew consisted of a student pilot and a flight examiner. After completing the first of several planned take-offs and landings, the student pilot retracted the landing gear for the subsequent circuit.
During the second approach to runway 20, the student pilot performed the landing checklists from memory rather than reading them aloud. In the process, the landing gear was not extended. The flight examiner, focused on observing preceding traffic, did not verify the gear configuration. As the aircraft crossed the threshold, the student pilot retarded the throttle, causing the aircraft to float and eventually make contact with the runway with the gear retracted. The aircraft slid approximately 100 meters along the runway, resulting in significant damage to the propeller, engine, engine mount, flaps, and lower fuselage.
The investigation
The CIAIAC examined the aircraft's mechanical state, the crew's performance, and the separation between the involved aircraft. Investigators tested the aircraft's landing gear warning system (comprising a red light and an audible horn) using jacks. The tests confirmed that the warning system functioned correctly when the throttle was retarded while the gear was up. The investigation concluded that the crew likely did not reduce the power sufficiently to trigger the alarm.
Regarding air traffic, the investigation found that the separation between the accident aircraft and the preceding traffic was approximately 1,300 meters. Although the preceding aircraft had not yet fully vacated the runway via exit E4 when the controller authorized the landing, the controller's decision was consistent with regulations, as the runway would have been clear by the time the accident aircraft reached the threshold.
Findings
- The student pilot performed the landing and final checklists from memory, omitting the verification of the landing gear.
- The flight examiner failed to verify that the landing gear was extended.
- The student pilot did not announce actions aloud during the flight, following the examiner's instruction to remain silent.
- The lack of adherence to established procedures was the primary cause of the accident.
- High ambient temperatures (29°C) contributed to fatigue for the flight examiner.