What happened
The ANSV report details several distinct aviation occurrences involving various aircraft types across Italy.
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. The aircraft's nose slid along the runway for approximately 100 meters.
In August 2000, a Cessna 150, registration I-FFSH, operated by Aero Club Rimini, ran out of fuel during a flight from Verona to Rimini. After being advised by air traffic control that the period of usability for navigational aids was expiring, the pilot attempted to reach Forlì but eventually declared an emergency due to engine power loss, necessitating an emergency landing in a field near Santa Maria Nuova di Bertinoro.
In May 2001, a Grob Twin Astir glider, registration I-IVAS, crashed into a wooded area near Monte Marzola after losing altitude following separation from a tow plane.
In February 2002, a Socata TB 9, registration I-IAEO, overran the runway at the Sabaudia airpark after an landing that exceeded the runway limits, eventually striking trees.
In April 2002, a Piper PA-28-140, registration I-ICES, experienced a loss of control during a touch-and-go maneuver at Biella Cerrione. The aircraft underwent severe bouncing, which resulted in the failure of the nose gear and the aircraft veering off the runway.
The investigation
The ANSV examined the mechanical and operational aspects of these events. For the I-MIMU incident, investigators found that a broken steering flange caused the nose gear to fail to lock in the extended position. For the I-IVAS glider crash, technical inspections of the landing gear actuator revealed a worn seal on the piston. In the I-FFSH fuel exhaustion event, the investigation focused on flight planning and the pilot's recent flight experience.
Findings
- The Piper PA-34-200 incident was likely caused by previous over-steering of the nose wheel on the ground.
- The Cessna 150 fuel exhaustion was attributed to inadequate flight planning, insufficient knowledge of aircraft performance, and a failure to verify remaining fuel levels.
- The Grob Twin Astir landing gear failure was caused by a worn seal in the hydraulic piston.
- 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 resulted from a heavy landing followed by a loss of longitudinal control due to pilot over-control.