What happened
On Friday, September 12, 1997, a Piper PA 24-250, registered F-BLHJ, was performing a private flight departing from Bordeaux Léognan Saucats. Shortly after taking off from runway 22 toward Pamiers, the pilot decided to cancel the trip due to deteriorating weather conditions. During the subsequent landing attempt, the landing gear was not properly locked. The pilot reported that the gear was extended but unlocked during a tailwind component and subsequently retracted upon touchdown. The pilot also stated that the landing gear warning alarm was not heard during the maneuver.
The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, exhaust, and fuselage during the incident. There were two persons on board, and no fatalities were reported.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's landing gear mechanism and found that the main gear was slightly extended. The landing gear doors remained intact, and there were no visible marks indicating that the gear had dragged along the runway surface. Post-accident testing of the aircraft demonstrated that the landing gear, the extension indicators, and the audible warning alarm were all functioning normally.
Findings
- The investigation determined that the primary cause of the incident was a handling error.
- The pilot's limited experience on this specific aircraft type, combined with the stress of operating in poor meteorological conditions, likely contributed to the failure to properly secure the gear and the failure to perceive the cockpit warning alarm.
- Weather conditions at the time of the landing included visibility of 3,000 meters (1,500 meters in precipitation) and broken cloud layers between 400 and 700 feet.