What happened
On 14 March 2025, a Piper PA-24 Comanche, registration D-EKKE, was performing a private flight when it approached Runway 05 at Solent Airport. During the approach, the pilot noticed that the landing gear indicator light failed to illuminate after the gear lever had been moved to the down position.
Following unsuccessful attempts to extend the gear through standard means, the pilot initiated the emergency extension procedure. Air traffic control provided visual confirmation that the landing gear appeared to be down. The pilot reported hearing the gear lock engage during this process and proceeded with a standard landing.
While the aircraft initially touched down successfully, the landing gear began to collapse during the final stages of the landing roll. The aircraft subsequently slid along its fuselage for roughly 100 metres. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, though the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the underside of the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the failure of the landing gear indication and the subsequent structural collapse during the landing roll. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading from the initial failure of the gear lights to the mechanical failure of the undercarriage under the loads of the landing roll.