Flight History
On 6 September 2010 at 10:30 a.m., a student pilot and an instructor pilot operated Diamond DA42 HS-IAO from Nakhon Phanom Airport for flight training in an area south of the airport at 5,000 feet for 45 minutes. They returned to practice touch-and-go landings on runway 15. On the fourth landing, the instructor simulated a right engine failure by reducing the right engine power to idle. The aircraft approached with the landing gear not in the extended and locked position. The left engine propeller blades struck the runway surface approximately 1,740 meters from the threshold of runway 15, followed by one right propeller blade. Parts beneath the fuselage then touched down and skidded for about 640 meters before the aircraft stopped approximately 120 meters from the end of runway 15, with the nose at heading 110 degrees.
During the approach, a continuous landing gear alarm sounded in the cockpit, interfering with radio communications. The first alarm lasted about 2 seconds while the instructor contacted the tower to request a full stop landing. The second alarm lasted 3 seconds, 7 seconds later, as the instructor acknowledged the clearance. A third alarm occurred about 8 seconds after the stop, when the student pilot transmitted "PAN PAN PAN HOTEL ALFA OSCAR LANDING GEAR NOT EFFECT." A final alarm sounded about 7 seconds later when the student confirmed "NO PASSENGER INJURY." Both pilots exited the aircraft on their own before rescue and fire crews arrived. The accident occurred at approximately 12:15 a.m.
Damage
The aircraft was substantially damaged. Damage included: all three left propeller blades broken about 15 inches from the tips; one right propeller blade tip broken; both engine cowlings worn and cracked underneath; exhaust pipe ends worn down to the cowling bottom; left and right main tire sidewalls damaged to the third ply; main wheel dust shields worn; flight steps on both sides worn down; DME antenna, VHF2 antenna, and Pitot tube damaged; tail skid and lower fin broken with damage to the connecting base area. The runway surface sustained minor damage from propeller strikes and abrasion over about 640 meters.
Injuries
Neither the student pilot nor the instructor pilot reported any injuries. Both were able to leave the aircraft unassisted.
Personnel
The student pilot, aged 37, Malaysian, held a student pilot license issued by the Department of Civil Aviation (Thailand) and a private pilot license from Malaysia. Total flight time was 224 hours 30 minutes, with 29 hours 55 minutes on the Diamond DA42. The instructor pilot, aged 61, Thai, held a commercial pilot license with total flight time of 6,993 hours 10 minutes, including 180 hours 5 minutes on the Diamond DA42.
Aircraft
The aircraft was a Diamond DA42, serial number 42.344, manufactured in 2008, owned by International Aviation College, Nakhon Phanom University. Take-off mass on the accident flight was 1,603.49 kg, landing mass 1,581.59 kg.