Accident Details
On 30 June 2009 at 16:40 UTC, a Piper PA-28-140 aircraft, registration I-CVDA, experienced an accident during landing at Voghera/Rivanazzano airport. The aircraft was being flown by a student pilot on his first solo flight as part of a student pilot certificate course. The takeoff had occurred at 16:25 UTC from runway 34. After completing a traffic circuit west of the airport, the student attempted to land on runway 34.
Upon initial touchdown, the aircraft bounced. After two subsequent bounces, the nose wheel contacted the runway and collapsed to the right, causing a sharp yaw. The left wing and propeller then struck the asphalt surface. The aircraft came to a stop at the edge of the runway. The student shut down the engine and exited the aircraft uninjured.
Aircraft and Personnel
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28-140, a single-engine, four-seat, low-wing monoplane with fixed landing gear. It was manufactured in 1965 with serial number 28-20920 and was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2A engine. At the time of the accident, the airframe and engine had accumulated 4,728 hours and 39 minutes of operation. The aircraft held a valid airworthiness certificate.
The student pilot was a 23-year-old Italian male with a valid Class 2 medical certificate. He had begun flight training on 12 March 2008 and had logged 14 hours and 17 minutes of flight time by the accident date. The flight was conducted under the auspices of Aero Club Casalese “N.S.I. Palli” of Casale Monferrato.
Investigation Findings
The investigation relied on evidence and testimony from the instructor who had authorized the solo flight. The instructor stated that the student had completed two dual-flight sessions totaling 70 minutes and including 8 landings immediately prior to the solo flight, during which no corrections were needed. The student later reported that he “made a mistake in the landing phase, performing correction maneuvers not in accordance with previously taught procedures.”
Examination of the event sequence indicated that the student did not properly manage the approach parameters—specifically, the relationship between power, speed, and distance from the runway. The touchdown occurred at an elevated speed and with a flat attitude, and the subsequent bounces were not corrected with appropriate control inputs.
The investigation also noted that the student’s training had been discontinuous, with intervals of several months between flights over a period exceeding one year. While not directly linked to the accident, this discontinuity was considered in the overall assessment.
Following the accident, the student underwent additional medical evaluations, including psychological tests (MMPI-2, Barrage test, Tachistoscope). As a result, he was declared permanently unfit for the renewal of his license or certificate due to “lack of psycho-attitudinal requirements.”
The aircraft sustained damage to the engine mount, nose gear, left wing, cabin roof cover, and cabin air box. The engine stopped abruptly due to the propeller strike. No injuries or damage to third parties occurred.