What happened
On October 27, 2002, a Siai Marchetti S.205-18R, registration I-PAIA, was conducting a VFR recreational flight near Rieti, Italy. The flight, which included the pilot and two passengers, consisted of a 20-minute navigation through the Rieti valley. During the approach to runway 16R at Rieti Airport, the aircraft landed with its landing gear in the retracted position.
The impact caused significant damage to the propeller, the lower fuselage, and both the left and right flaps. All three occupants evacuated the aircraft safely and sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation focused on why the landing gear was not extended and why the cockpit warnings failed to alert the pilot. The aircraft was equipped with an electromechanical tricycle gear system featuring visual indicators and an acoustic siren. The siren is designed to activate if the throttle is reduced to a specific level while the gear is retracted, or if the flaps are extended beyond 30 degrees.
Investigators examined the maintenance records following the event. While the propeller and fuselage panels were replaced, and the engine was inspected, the investigation found that the landing gear warning siren was adjusted rather than replaced, and no specific repairs were made to the gear indication system itself. This suggested the warning system was likely functional at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the failure to extend the landing gear and the omission of required pre-landing checklists.
- The pilot's attention was likely focused exclusively on the landing maneuver, preventing the perception of any audible warnings.
- It is possible that the pilot's flight path required a higher power setting (preventing the throttle-based siren trigger) and a flap configuration of less than 30 degrees (preventing the flap-based siren trigger).
- The pilot failed to notice that the gear position lights were not illuminated during the final approach.