What happened
Between June 2000 and April 2002, several aviation incidents were recorded by the ANSV involving various aircraft types.
In June 2000, a Piper PA-34-200, registration I-MIMU, performing a training flight, experienced a nose gear retraction during landing at Palermo Punta Raisi. Despite the pilot and instructor receiving visual confirmation from the tower that the gear appeared extended, the nose gear collapsed upon touchdown, causing the aircraft to slide approximately 100 meters.
In August 2000, a Cessna 150, registration I-FFSH, operated by Aero Club Rimini, experienced engine power loss while flying near Medicina. The flight, which had exceeded its planned duration, resulted in an emergency landing in a field near Santa Maria Nuova di Bertinoro after the pilot ran out of fuel.
In May 2001, a Grob Twin Astir glider, registration I-IVAS, crashed into a wooded area near Monte Marzola. After separating from a tow aircraft, the glider suddenly lost altitude and impacted the ground at 1,200 meters.
In February 2002, a Socata TB 9, registration I-IAEO, performed an overshot landing at the Sabaudia airpark. The pilot failed to stop the aircraft within the grass runway limits, eventually striking trees off the runway.
In April 2002, a Piper PA-28-140, registration I-ICES, was involved in a loss of control during a touch-and-go maneuver at Biella Cerrione. A heavy landing triggered a series of increasingly violent bounces, eventually causing the nose gear to collapse and the aircraft to veer off the runway.
The investigation
The ANSV examined the mechanical components and flight logs for each event. For the I-MIMU incident, investigators found that a broken steering flange caused the landing gear pivot to exit its guide tracks. For the I-IVAS glider crash, technical inspections of the landing gear actuator revealed a worn seal in the piston. In the I-ICES training flight, the investigation focused on the pilot's longitudinal control during the bouncing sequence.
Findings
- The Piper PA-34-200 incident was caused by a previous over-steering event on the ground that had damaged the steering mechanism.
- The Cessna 150 fuel exhaustion was attributed to inadequate flight planning, lack of pre-flight fuel verification, and the pilot's limited flight experience.
- The Grob Twin Astir crash was caused by a failure in the landing gear actuator due to a worn seal, preventing the left gear from locking.
- The Socata TB 9 excursion was caused by the pilot's failure to apply sufficient braking via the pedals.
- The Piper PA-28-140 incident resulted from a heavy landing and subsequent over-control by the pilot during the bouncing phase.