What happened
On January 28, 2022, a Piper PA28-140, registration OB-2214, was conducting a scheduled flight instruction session at the Captain FAP Renán Elías Olivera Airport in Pisco, Peru. The flight crew, consisting of an instructor pilot, a student pilot, and a student observer, was practicing a 360-degree precision maneuver.
During the final approach to runway 22, the instructor pilot noticed that the aircraft's trajectory was too low, indicating an unstabilized approach. The instructor initially advised the student to increase power; however, when there was no immediate reaction, the instructor took control of the aircraft and attempted to correct the approach. This resulted in a hard landing upon touchdown. The impact caused the right main gear's stud axle to fracture, leading to the loss of the right wheel. The aircraft subsequently veered off the runway and came to a stop approximately 500 meters from the runway start in the right-side runway strip. There were no injuries to the three occupants.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation focused on the sequence of events during the precision maneuver and the mechanical failure of the landing gear. Investigators examined the aircraft's flight training manual and the crew's actions during the approach. The investigation established that the aircraft was operating without flaps during the final stages of the maneuver. The investigation also reviewed the maintenance records and the physical damage to the Piper PA28-140, which included a perforated right wing caused by the upward displacement of the landing gear mounting support.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the instructor pilot's loss of situational awareness, specifically failing to execute a go-around when faced with an unstabilized approach without flaps.
- A lack of standardization among instructors regarding sequential flap deployment procedures during 90, 180, and 360-degree precision maneuvers contributed to the event.
- The aircraft's training manual lacked defined parameters for a stabilized approach or specific procedures for identifying and executing a go-around when an approach is deemed unstabilized.
Safety action
The CIAA recommended that the operator, CIAC3 Gold Flight S.R.L., update its training manual to include stabilized approach criteria and standardized flap deployment procedures. Additionally, the operator was advised to issue a safety bulletin summarizing the incident to inform all flight crews and to implement regular safety conferences to review such findings.