Incident Overview
On 12 March 2009, at approximately 16:30 UTC, a Socata TB-20 aircraft, registration CS-DEO, operated by AAE – Academia Aeronáutica de Évora, landed with its landing gear retracted at Santarém Aerodrome. The flight was a training sortie that had departed Évora at 15:45, with the intention of performing a touch-and-go at Santarém before returning to Évora. The sole occupant, a student pilot, was uninjured, and the aircraft sustained minor damage.
Flight History
The pilot entered a direct final approach for runway 05 without overflying the aerodrome. The approach was continued, and the aircraft touched down beyond the midpoint of the runway. The propeller blades struck the asphalt, leaving regular impact marks. The propeller strikes caused the engine to stop, and the fuselage settled onto the runway. The aircraft slid on its lower fuselage, main gear sidewalls, and nose wheel tire for more than 100 meters before veering right. After an additional 20 meters, it exited the paved area, the nose wheel dug into the gravel, and the aircraft pivoted clockwise, coming to rest facing approximately 200° with the right wing and tail still on the runway.
Aircraft Examination
Post-incident inspection of the cockpit revealed that the landing gear selector was in the retracted position and the gear indicator lights were off. The flaps were set to the first position. The aircraft was subsequently raised, the gear lever selected down, and the gear extended by gravity. The right main wheel tire, which had burst during the slide, was replaced. The gear system was tested and found to operate normally, including the warning lights and horn. No pre-existing deficiencies were reported.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a Private Pilot License (Aeroplanes) and was enrolled in an Airline Transport Pilot course. He had accumulated 133:30 total flight hours, with 46 hours on type.
Weather Conditions
Weather at Santarém at 16:00 was favorable for visual flight: visibility greater than 10 km, clear sky, wind from the northeast at 3.7 km/h, temperature 26.0°C, dew point 13.0°C, and pressure 1019 hPa.
Analysis
The investigation noted that the pilot did not fly a standard circuit, which altered his routine and likely contributed to omitting procedures and checklist reading. The approach was above the glideslope, with excessive speed and power. The propeller marks indicated a speed much higher than normal landing speed. During the flare, the pilot did not realize the gear was missing and did not execute a go-around. As the propeller struck the ground, the engine stopped, and the fuselage settled. The nose wheel's protrusion created a pivot when the aircraft left the pavement, causing the rotation. Friction from the right main tire and step contributed to the veer.
Conclusions
The established facts include that the flight was authorized, the pilot was qualified, the aircraft was airworthy with no reported defects, weather was suitable, and the runway was adequate. The landing gear was not extended, and the corresponding checklist was not completed. The aircraft touched down with the gear retracted, causing minor damage. The pilot was uninjured.
Causes
The primary cause of the incident was the omission of landing gear extension before landing. Contributing factors were:
- Altered approach routine (no standard circuit)
- Failure to confirm procedures using checklists
- Late or missed identification of the aircraft configuration, preventing a go-around.