Accident Overview
On 17 September 2020, at approximately 12:50 local time, a Piper PA-34-220T aircraft, registration EC-JOO, sustained an accident at Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid, Spain. The aircraft was operated by Airpilot Escuela de Vuelo, S.L. for a dual training flight under visual flight rules (VFR). The flight was performing a touch-and-go landing maneuver.
Sequence of Events
After a normal landing, the student pilot, instead of applying power to take off as instructed by the flight instructor, operated the landing gear lever to retract the gear. The instructor noticed the error and corrected the student, who then moved the lever to extend the gear. However, the nose wheel had already partially retracted, causing the aircraft to contact the runway surface. The instructor assumed control of the aircraft and managed to bring it to a stop near taxiway J3 on the right side of runway 09.
Occupants and Injuries
The two occupants, the instructor and the student pilot, were uninjured. The instructor, aged 40, held a commercial pilot license (CPL(A)) and a private pilot license (PPL(A)), with class ratings for multi-engine piston (MEP) and instrument rating (IR), as well as instructor ratings. He had accumulated approximately 3,500 total flight hours, including 800 hours on the accident aircraft type. The student pilot, aged 31, was undergoing training.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller tips and the lower fuselage. No other damage occurred, and there was no fire.
Probable Cause
The investigation concluded that the accident was caused by the retraction of the landing gear during the touch-and-go landing maneuver.