Piper PA-28R-201 I-JESC Incident at Montichiari Airport

Overview and Investigation Context On 20 February 2003, at 11:13 UTC (12:13 local time), a Piper PA-28R-201 with registration I-JESC, owned by Aero Club di Brescia, was involved in an accident at Montichiari Airport (BS). The Italian National Agency for the Safety of Flight (ANSV) was notified by the ENAC airport circumscription of Milan Linate on the afternoon of 20 February 2003. An investigator visited the site the following day and later examined the aircraft at a hangar where it was being restored. The runway was closed for approximately 35 minutes to remove the aircraft; photographic documentation was taken before removal. ## Flight History and Emergency Handling The aircraft departed Montichiari at 10:00 UTC for an instructional flight carrying a pilot instructor and a student. The planned mission included an instrument approach at Parma, a touch-and-go, and a return to Montichiari with a second instrument approach. The departure, navigation, and approach at Parma were uneventful. After the touch-and-go and gear retraction, the crew heard a sharp knock from the gear bay that was felt through the rudder pedals, and the red gear-in-motion light failed to extinguish. While returning to Montichiari, repeated attempts to extend and retract the gear using both normal and emergency controls did not produce the green light indicating the nose gear was locked, and the red light remained on during retraction. On arrival over Montichiari, the instructor made a low pass near the control tower for a visual check and confirmed the nose gear was not fully extended. The aircraft climbed to about 4,000 feet for additional gear cycles with pitch-up and pitch-down manoeuvres to increase forces on the gear mechanisms. When the correct gear indications were not obtained, the instructor declared an emergency and landed using a minimum-speed glide, setting the mixture to idle cut-off and the propeller to maximum pitch in an attempt to stop its rotation and protect the propeller and engine. After touchdown, the aircraft skidded for about 30 metres on the lower engine cowl and stopped in the centre of the runway. ## Damage, Injuries, and Operational Impact The two occupants suffered no injuries. The aircraft sustained damage to the lower engine cowl and associated areas; the source notes examination of the airframe, landing gear, propeller, and engine. The runway closure lasted about 35 minutes, the time needed to remove the aircraft. The source states that removal was not previously coordinated with ANSV. ## Investigation Findings and Safety Recommendations The ANSV investigation was conducted under Article 827 of the Italian Navigation Code and Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention, with the sole objective of preventing accidents and incidents, excluding any assessment of fault or liability. The report’s analysis addressed the nose-gear malfunction, in-flight emergency management, and on-ground emergency management. The conclusions section identified evidence and causes, and the report included two safety recommendations (ANSV-13/31/3-1/A/04 and ANSV-14/31/3-2/A/04).