What happened
The ANSV report details several distinct aviation incidents involving various aircraft types across Italy:
- June 19, 2000: A Piper PA-34-200, registration I-MIMU, performing a training flight, experienced a nose gear retraction during landing at Palermo Punta Raisi. After the pilot and instructor noted a discrepancy in the landing gear lights, the nose gear failed to remain locked, causing the aircraft to slide on its nose for approximately 100 meters.
- August 12, 2000: A Cessna 150, registration I-FFSH, operated by Aero Club Rimini, ran out of fuel during a flight from Verona Villafranca to Rimini. The pilot declared an emergency near Medicina and performed an emergency landing in a field near Santa Maria Nuova di Bertinoro.
- May 6, 2001: A Grob Twin Astir glider, registration I-IVAS, crashed into a wooded area near Monte Marzola after separating from its tow plane. The two occupants sustained minor injuries.
- February 9, 2002: A Socata TB 9, registration I-IAEO, overran the runway at the Sabaudia airpark. The pilot failed to stop the aircraft within the grass runway limits, resulting in a collision with trees off the runway.
- April 17, 2002: A Piper PA-28-140, registration I-ICES, experienced a loss of control during a touch-and-go maneuver at Biella Cerrione. A heavy landing triggered a severe bouncing effect (porpoising), which led to the structural failure of the nose gear and the aircraft veering off the runway.
The investigation
The ANSV examined the mechanical components and flight logs for each event. For the Piper PA-34-200, investigators inspected the nose gear assembly and found that a broken steering flange caused the ball joint to dislodge from its tracks. In the case of the Grob Twin Astir, technical inspections of the landing gear actuator revealed a worn seal. For the Cessna 150 incident, the investigation focused on flight planning and fuel management, noting the pilot's lack of recent flight experience.
Findings
- The Piper PA-34-200 incident was likely caused by previous over-steering of the nose wheel on the ground, which damaged the steering mechanism.
- The Cessna 150 accident resulted from inadequate flight planning, insufficient knowledge of aircraft performance, and a failure to verify remaining fuel levels.
- The Grob Twin Astir failure was attributed to a worn seal in the landing gear extension piston, preventing the left gear from locking.
- The Socata TB 9 overrun was caused by the pilot's failure to apply sufficient braking due to incorrect rudder pedal application.
- The Piper PA-28-140 incident was caused by a heavy landing and subsequent over-control by the student pilot, leading to uncontrolled longitudinal oscillations.