What happened
On 6 April 2018, a Diamond DA 42 M Twin Star, registration G-DOSB, was conducting a training flight at Bournemouth Airport. The flight was part of a preparation for a multi-engine class rating test. During the approach, the crew encountered turbulent conditions and a 14-knot crosswind.
While flying the downwind leg, the crew became distracted while attempting to maintain visual contact with preceding aircraft in the circuit. During this period, the parking brake was inadvertently left engaged. The crew identified the issue and corrected the brake position, but the discrepancy between the parking brake lever markings and adjacent heating controls caused further distraction.
As the aircraft transitioned to the base leg and final approach, the student pilot struggled to maintain the centerline and airspeed. The instructor focused on coaching the student through these flight corrections rather than monitoring the aircraft's configuration. Upon touchdown on the asphalt runway, it became apparent that the landing gear had not been extended. The aircraft slid along the runway, causing the propellers, engine gearboxes, and lower cowlings to strike the surface.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the sequence of events and the cockpit environment. The investigation established that the student pilot may have performed a "touch drill" on the gear lever without actually moving it, or may have simply omitted the action due to high workload. The instructor's attention was divided between monitoring the student's unstable approach and contemplating the previous confusion regarding the parking brake lever.
It was also noted that the student's previous experience primarily involved aircraft with fixed landing gear, which may have influenced his decision-making. While an aural warning system exists to alert the crew when the gear is up, neither crew member recalled hearing such a warning during the final approach.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the failure to ensure the landing gear was in the down position before touchdown.
- Distraction caused by searching for preceding traffic in the circuit.
- Confusion arising from the parking brake lever markings being inconsistent with adjacent controls.
- An unstable approach characterized by centerline deviations and airspeed fluctuations.
- The instructor's focus on coaching the student's flight path led to an oversight of the landing configuration check at 100 ft.