History of the Flight
The pilot of a Piper PA23-250, registered N14040, contacted the AFIS officer at Saint-Barthélemy airport while abeam the COCO reporting point. The flight originated from F. D. Roosevelt airport (Caribbean Netherlands) and planned to land on runway 28. A Britten-Norman BN2 Islander was already on approach to runway 10. After radio exchanges, the BN2 pilot agreed to give landing priority to the PA23.
While the PA23 was on the left-hand base leg for runway 28, the AFIS officer observed continuous smoke from the left engine and informed the pilot. During the flare, the AFIS officer noticed the landing gear was not extended and warned the pilot. The aircraft touched down on its underside, slid along the runway, and came to a stop after colliding with the taxiway D sign. The AFIS officer activated emergency services and informed all traffic of the runway closure. The BN2 pilot executed a go-around.
Pilot Information
The 60-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot license with an instrument multi-engine rating. He had logged approximately 6,000 flight hours, including about 1,280 hours on the PA23 type. In the 30 days prior to the accident, he had flown 7 hours total, with 3 hours on type. He stated that he chose runway 28 because the wind (less than 8 knots) made it possible. He felt pressure to land quickly due to the BN2's approach. He completed his before-landing checklist without noting anything unusual. On short final, he was concerned by the AFIS officer's report of engine smoke. He did not hear any gear warnings or see that the landing gear locked indicators were not illuminated. He later thought he may have forgotten to extend the gear. The left engine smoke was later attributed to an oil leak.
Meteorological Information
At the time of the accident, the airport reported wind from 080° at 11 knots, QNH 1014 hPa, and temperature 31°C. During flight preparation, the pilot had noted wind from 040° at 7 knots via the ForeFlight application.
Site and Wreckage Information
The BEA did not examine the aircraft on site. The taxiway D sign was embedded in the wing near the right engine. The left engine showed evidence of an oil leak, with a visible oil run on the exhaust pipe.
Aerodrome Information
Saint-Barthélemy airport is a restricted-use airport with a single paved runway 10/28, measuring 646 meters long and 18 meters wide. The airport has geographical constraints: high ground to the north, west, and south-east, and the coast to the east. Take-offs from runway 28 are prohibited due to terrain. Go-arounds from runway 28 are restricted to a right turn before a decision point abeam Eden Rock. Runway 10 is the preferred runway. The airport operates with AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service); AFIS officers provide information but do not issue instructions. Pilots are responsible for maintaining separation from other traffic.
Conclusions
The scenario describes the pilot contacting AFIS, the conflicting traffic, the engine smoke, the gear not extended, and the subsequent landing on the aircraft's underside. Contributing factors identified in the investigation include: the pilot not detecting the gear was not extended despite completing the checklist; the pilot's concentration on the engine smoke diverting attention from critical tasks; the perception of time constraint due to the other aircraft; and the impossibility of a go-around on short final for runway 28 due to terrain.