Synopsis
On 2 July 2019, at 11:39 UTC, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration G-BOUM, operated by O.A.T.C., experienced a nose landing gear collapse during a touch-and-go landing at Cascais Airport (LPCS), Portugal. The instructional flight with a student pilot and an instructor was conducting lesson AP-19. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the occupants left unharmed.
Factual Description
The flight had planned and executed an emergency landing gear extension drill and several pattern circuits. After returning to the airfield for normal operations, the crew performed a first touch-and-go without reported issues. During the second touch-and-go, after the aircraft was stabilized on the ground in the rollout, the student pilot retracted the flaps to prepare for the next take-off. At that moment, the nose landing gear (NLG) collapsed, causing the forward fuselage and propellers to contact the ground. The instructor immediately assumed control and brought the aircraft to a safe stop on the runway.
Injuries and Damage
Both occupants were unharmed. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the forward lower fuselage section and both propellers.
Aircraft and Systems
The Piper PA-34-200T is equipped with a retractable tricycle landing gear, hydraulically actuated by an electrically powered reversible pump. Gear position is indicated by three green lights when down and locked, and a red light when unsafe. In case of hydraulic or electrical failure, the gear can be extended by a free-fall valve. A squat switch on the left main gear prevents the hydraulic pump from activating when the aircraft is on the ground and the gear selector is in the UP position. The squat switch was tested and found operating properly.
Investigation Findings
The aircraft, with approximately 16,050 flight hours and unknown cycles, was duly authorized to fly. The student pilot had 187 total flight hours; the instructor pilot had over 1,400 hours as an instructor. No medical or personal factors were identified as contributing. During post-incident testing in the operator's hangar, the landing gear systems were functionally checked. While testing the load on the NLG by lowering the aircraft off jacks, the nose gear retracted again without command, just after the wheel touched the ground. Detailed examination of the mechanism revealed that the manufacturer had issued Service Bulletin 1123 Rev. C (May 2013), introducing additional maintenance actions and inspections to mitigate NLG collapse events on this model.
No probable cause was stated in the official report.