ANSV Reports on 2001 Glider and Piper Incidents in Italy (I-PREM)

Overview of the ANSV Investigation Report N. A/10-11/04 presents concise findings from the Italian National Agency for the Safety of Flight (ANSV) regarding two civil aviation incidents that occurred in 2001. The agency's technical investigations are conducted under Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention and Italian law, with the sole objective of preventing future accidents and excluding any assessment of fault or liability. The reports protect the privacy of individuals involved and may include safety recommendations, though none were issued for these specific events. ## Glider Incident: Grob Astir CS 77 (I-BZUM) On June 1, 2001, at 12:02 UTC, a Grob Astir CS 77 glider, registration I-BZUM, operated by Aero Club Volovelistico Lariano di Alzate Brianza, made an emergency landing in a wooded area in Tavernerio (CO). The aircraft sustained severe damage, including a broken right wingtip, a tear in the left wing's leading edge, a destroyed canopy, and extensive damage to the horizontal tail. The 69-year-old pilot, who held a valid glider pilot license and had approximately 800 total flight hours, was unharmed. The glider had taken off at 11:24 UTC via cable tow for a local training flight. After releasing from the tow plane at 1,000 meters QFE, the aircraft encountered a strong downdraft caused by moderate Föhn winds with localized descending currents. The pilot was unable to return to the field due to the terrain and made an emergency landing in the trees. The identified cause was the emergency landing in difficult terrain due to strong downdrafts, contributed to by the pilot's underestimation of the weather conditions and poor flight planning. ## Aircraft Incident: Piper PA-34-200T (I-PREM) On November 3, 2001, at 11:52 UTC, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration I-PREM, operated by Aero Club “Marilla Risazio” di Vercelli, made a belly landing at Biella Airport due to the landing gear failing to extend. The aircraft was on an instructional flight for a commercial pilot license, carrying a 34-year-old pilot and a 42-year-old instructor. No injuries were reported. The aircraft took off from Cuneo Levaldigi at 11:30 UTC for a training mission involving approaches and landings at Biella with simulated emergencies. During the final approach, the crew attempted to extend the landing gear, but it did not deploy. The green gear-down lights remained off, and the crew realized the issue during the final flare. A go-around was not possible without risking a stall, and emergency gear extension was not attempted due to the low altitude. The aircraft skidded along the runway, sustaining damage to the propeller tips, antennas, left wing flap, left engine cowl, and lower fuselage. Post-incident tests confirmed that the emergency gear system functioned correctly. Further investigation identified the failure as a malfunction of the landing gear hydraulic pump (P/N HYC 5005), which was subsequently replaced. The weather at the time was calm with good visibility and a dry runway.