Incident Overview
On 20 November 2004 at 10:16 UTC, a Piper PA-28R-200 (registration HB-OQH) operating a VFR flight from Lugano-Agno to Florence Peretola crashed during landing. The aircraft had been cleared to land on Runway 23. Witnesses observed the airplane pitch up abruptly when approximately halfway down the runway, after which it fell to the left side of the runway, coming to rest against the airport perimeter fence. The three persons on board sustained serious injuries.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28R-200, a single-engine, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane with a Lycoming IO-360-C1C engine. It was built in 1974 and had a maximum takeoff mass of 1202 kg. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had accumulated 6976 hours and 23 minutes of flight time. Its airworthiness certificate had been renewed in December 2003 and was valid until December 2005. No pre-existing maintenance issues were identified.
The pilot, a 48-year-old Swiss male, held a valid Private Pilot License (PPL) with ratings for single-engine piston aircraft and VFR radiotelephony. He had recently completed a transition course to retractable-gear and constant-speed propeller aircraft about one month prior, with approximately 100 total flight hours (mostly dual) and only about 10 hours on the accident type. He did not hold the required qualification for landing on Runway 23 at Florence Peretola, as specified in the Italian AIP.
A second pilot, a 66-year-old Swiss male, was seated in the right seat and was referred to in documentation as a “copilot.” He held a valid PPL with additional ratings as a flight instructor and night flying. He had over 1000 hours of instructional experience and had previously served as the pilot’s instructor.
Operational Context
Florence Peretola Airport is situated at an elevation of 144 feet and features a single asphalt runway designated 05/23, 1717 meters long and 30 meters wide. Due to a displaced threshold, the landing distance available for Runway 23 was only 975 meters. The Italian AIP in effect at the time imposed several restrictions for landing on Runway 23, including operation only between dawn and dusk, minimum visibility of 5 km and ceiling of 3000 ft, no tailwind component, prohibition of straight-in approaches, and a requirement that the pilot flying must have completed a specific qualification flight. These restrictions applied to all traffic, including general aviation. Additionally, non-based general aviation aircraft required prior permission (PPR) at least two hours in advance. The operator had submitted a PPR request indicating the arrival and departure times and the presence of three persons, including a pilot and a copilot.
Meteorological Conditions
METAR reports for the airport around the time of the incident indicated CAVOK conditions with light variable winds. An anemometer reading at 09:58 UTC recorded wind from 290 degrees at 2 knots.
Post-Incident Examination
Examination of the aircraft and documentation did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that could have contributed to the event. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and post-crash fire? (No fire mentioned in source, so omit.) The perimeter fence sustained damage.