What happened
On April 13, 2009, a student pilot was conducting a solo flight training mission at Évora Aerodrome in Portugal. The aircraft, a Socata TB20 Trinidad GT, registration CS-DEE, was being operated by the Academia Aeronáutica de Évora for an ATPL(A) course. The pilot had recently transitioned from flying the fixed-gear Socata TB200 Tobago to this retractable-gear model.
During a series of touch-and-go maneuvers, the first two landings were successful. However, during the third approach at 80 knots, the pilot initiated the flare too late. This resulted in a hard landing and a subsequent bouncing effect. In an attempt to stabilize the aircraft, the pilot applied successive pitch changes, which led to a series of bounces. Fearing insufficient runway remaining to stop safely, the pilot applied takeoff thrust to continue the circuit. During this maneuver, the pilot noticed abnormal vibrations from the engine and decided to perform a full-stop landing to inspect the aircraft.
Upon inspection, the pilot and maintenance technicians discovered slight deformations on the propeller tips, caused by contact with the runway surface. No other damage to the aircraft or the aerodrome was found, and the pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation examined the pilot's training background, the aircraft's maintenance history, and the environmental conditions. The investigation established that the pilot was properly licensed and had recently completed an adaptation flight for the retractable-gear aircraft. The aircraft, CS-DEE, was found to be fully compliant with its maintenance program and was in airworthy condition throughout the flight. Meteorological conditions were ideal, with calm winds and high visibility.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the propeller striking the runway surface.
- A secondary contributing factor was the late execution of the flare, which induced a bouncing landing.
- The pilot's attempts to correct the bouncing through pitch variations further contributed to the instability that led to the propeller strike.