Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration D-GORC, serial number 34-8170068. It was a low-wing twin-engine aircraft built in 1981 with a maximum takeoff weight of 1999 kg and a six-seat configuration. The two Teledyne Continental Motors engines (left: TSIO-360-EBI, right: LTSIO-360-EB) had accumulated 215 and 835 hours respectively at the last 50-hour inspection on 4 October 2006. The airworthiness certificate, issued by the German LBA, was renewed on 7 July 2006.
The pilot, a 58-year-old Italian male, held a valid private pilot license (PPL-A) with SEP and MEP land ratings and a second-class medical certificate requiring corrective lenses. He had 933 total flight hours, 843 of which on the accident aircraft. In the preceding 90 days, he flew 23 hours, all on D-GORC.
Accident Description
On 15 October 2006, at 09:55 UTC, the aircraft was landing on Runway 30 at Aviosuperficie Valdera, a grass airstrip near Pisa, Italy. The pilot had contacted the airfield by phone before departure from Verona Boscomantico and was informed of a crosswind of 10–12 knots and ongoing runway width reduction to about 18 meters due to grass renovation. During the approach, he observed a windsock indicating wind from the north-northeast. He configured the aircraft with flaps at 40°, gear down, and an indicated speed of 78–80 knots.
To avoid overflying a road adjacent to the threshold of Runway 30 at low altitude, the pilot set a higher glidepath. After crossing the road, he reduced power for touchdown. A gust from approximately 120° then caused temporary misalignment. After correction, the aircraft touched down just before midfield. Initial braking had little effect; firmer braking also failed to stop the aircraft. It continued beyond the runway end, struck one of the two end markers, crossed a ditch perpendicular to the runway axis, and came to rest on the opposite bank. The pilot shut down the engines and evacuated without injury.
Airfield and Weather Conditions
Aviosuperficie Valdera (coordinates 43°35'31"N, 10°41'44"E) has a grass runway oriented 12/30. ENAC documentation listed dimensions as 750 by 30 meters, but ANSV measurements indicated the length was about 10% shorter. On the day, the runway width was reduced to approximately 18 meters. A ditch existed beyond Threshold 12. Weather conditions included wind from north-northeast at 12 knots, visibility greater than 10 km, and a METAR from Pisa Airport (14 NM away) reporting good conditions.
Investigation Findings
Ground marks showed the left main wheel contacted the ground near midfield, skewed right, then returned to the centerline with both wheels locked, indicating touchdown in a left bank with sideslip. The skid marks from locked wheels began only after realignment. The aircraft sustained substantial damage: all landing gear legs broken, propeller blades deformed (both engines had one blade intact and one bent backward at low angle), structural deformation including the rear spar, flap deformation, and the right wing rear attachment broken. The nose gear leg was found separated from its cylinder and missing the centering pin. No hydraulic fluid leaks were found, and post-accident checks revealed no brake system malfunctions. The flaps were found in the full-down position (40°), consistent with the cockpit lever. Fuel remaining was 53 US gallons in the left tank and 51 in the right. Instruments indicated zero speed and zero variometer.
The aircraft’s pilot operating handbook recommends retracting flaps after touchdown and applying back pressure before braking for short-field landings on paved surfaces. However, no direct causal link was established in the investigation report.