What happened
On December 6, 2017, a Piper PA-31T, registration PT-OCL, was operating a cargo and personnel transport flight from Bacacheri (SBBI) to Navegantes (SBNF) in Brazil. The flight, operated by Táxi Aéreo Hércules Ltda, included two pilots and two passengers. During the descent into Navegantes, the crew canceled their IFR flight plan and proceeded under VFR rules.
As the aircraft approached runway 25, the crew performed a correction to the left due to the aircraft being too close to the runway during the windward leg. Upon touchdown, the crew realized that the landing gear had not been extended. The aircraft slid along the runway, coming to a stop approximately 450 meters from the threshold of runway 25. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the propellers, engine cowlings, and fuselage. All four occupants were uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance records and found that the landing gear system was fully operational, with no mechanical discrepancies or irregularities identified during post-accident testing. The aircraft's airworthiness certificates and maintenance logs for the airframe, engines, and propellers were all up to date.
The investigation focused on the crew's performance and cockpit management. While the commander was an experienced pilot with approximately 5,000 flight hours, the co-pilot had significantly less experience in the PA-31T, with only 99 hours in the model. The investigation established that the co-pilot was acting as the Pilot Flying (PF) while the commander acted as the Pilot Monitoring (PM).
Findings
- Improper task management: The commander's attention was divided between monitoring the flight and providing constant guidance to the co-pilot, who was struggling with certain maneuvers.
- Failure to execute checklists: The crew failed to complete the pre-landing checklist, which would have identified the retracted landing gear.
- Poor cockpit coordination: Ineffective crew resource management and a lack of coordination between the two pilots contributed to the oversight.
- Reduced situational awareness: The high workload placed on the commander due to the need to supervise the co-pilot led to a breakdown in attention and memory.
- Pilot experience: The limited experience of the co-pilot in the specific aircraft type was a contributing factor.