What happened
On December 16, 2003, a Piper PA 23 Aztec, registration F-OCFL, was conducting a training flight at Tahiti Aerodrome in French Polynesia. The flight was part of a training session for a pilot working toward a multi-engine rating extension, accompanied by an instructor.
During the fourth circuit for runway 22, the aerodrome controller requested that the crew perform a relatively short circuit to allow a Boeing 767 to land. Following this request, while on the base leg, the instructor simulated an engine failure. The pilot proceeded with a single-engine approach for a full landing. During the flare, the pilot noticed an abnormal sink rate and reacted by pulling back on the control column and extending the landing gear. The crew heard a scraping sound, prompting the instructor to apply power to both engines. During the subsequent climb, no vibrations or engine parameter abnormalities were noted. The aircraft completed a circuit at 1,000 feet and landed without further incident.
Upon inspection on the ground, the tips of both propeller blades were found bent backward, and damage was identified on the right running board and the ADF antenna located under the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the crew's management of the aircraft configuration during the simulated emergency. The pilot stated that after the instructor instructed him to "leave the flaps down" following the engine failure simulation, his attention shifted entirely to maintaining the correct flight path and airspeed, leading him to neglect the landing gear position.
The investigation also examined the cockpit instrumentation. The aircraft features a central console with a yellow light indicating the gear is up and three green lights indicating the gear is locked down. A red alarm light for an unlocked gear is located on the gear lever, but the aircraft lacks an audible warning for an unlatched gear. The instructor noted that while checking the lights on final approach, he believed he saw the green lights illuminated, though he noted the sun's glare may have obscured the view and mentioned that the yellow indicator light often suffers from poor electrical contact.