Aircraft and Flight Information
The aircraft involved was a Tecnam P2006T, registration I-TELT. The flight was a training mission conducted by a local flight training organization (FTO) for a student pilot working toward a multi-engine piston (MEP) rating. The student, who held a Private Pilot Licence (PPL), was accompanied by an instructor. The mission was the fourth of the program and focused on landing practice.
Event Description
On 31 July 2012, at 08:42 UTC, the aircraft was performing a series of touch-and-go landings on runway 08 at Catania Fontanarossa airport. At 08:38:53, the tower controller, due to approaching traffic, authorized landing and instructed the crew to back-track and exit the runway via taxiway B after touchdown. The aircraft completed its approach but, upon landing, the fuselage scraped along the runway. The aircraft stopped after about 250 meters. The crew reported to the tower that they could not clear the runway because the landing gear was retracted. Weather conditions included light easterly wind, no significant cloud, temperature 30°C, and pressure 1013 hPa.
Investigation Findings
Examination revealed that the aircraft touched down at the runway 08 threshold markings. After contact, it slid along the runway, veering left, and stopped near taxiway B with the nose pointing northeast. The flaps were extended, the landing gear was retracted, and the main gear doors appeared closed while the nose gear doors were slightly open. After removal, the aircraft was placed on supports in a hangar. Inspection showed: main gear doors partially open with no damage except an inward fold on the left door's trailing edge; main wheels slightly protruding from their bays; nose gear doors partially open (right more than left) with the nose wheel partially extended; scratches and abrasions on the lower fuselage; the tail tie-down support and some antennas were worn. In the cockpit, the gear lever was in the down position and all circuit breakers were engaged except for the navigation lights. When the master switch was turned on, the landing gear extended normally, with no hydraulic fluid leaks or damage. The main gear tires were in good condition without abrasions, but the wheel covers showed many scratches, mostly parallel to the fuselage longitudinal axis. Functional tests of the gear system revealed: normal cycles; the amber caution light "gear pump on" and red transition light functioned; the green gear-down lights illuminated correctly; the audible warning for gear not down and locked operated normally, though with headphones worn by pilots, the sound was noticeably weaker. The evidence indicated that the aircraft landed with the gear still retracted. The integrity of the main gear doors, positioned higher than the ventral profile, suggested they were only partially open at touchdown, not fully in contact with the runway as would occur if the gear retracted after landing. Scratches on the wheel covers were aligned with the direction of motion and appeared only on the inner circumference, which protrudes slightly past the tire profile, indicating the wheels impacted the runway while horizontal, a condition possible only with gear retracted. The gear lever in the down position was likely set late; the inward fold on the left door terminal edge suggested it resulted from contact with the runway as the gear extension cycle began. Both pilots stated they correctly configured the aircraft for landing but did not rule out that their memory might be incorrect or refer to checks performed during previous traffic patterns.
Cause
The incident was attributable to human factors and resulted from the failure to extend the landing gear in a timely manner during landing. The crew did not correctly perform the before-landing checks as specified in the Aircraft Flight Manual (Section 4: Normal Procedures). The repetitive nature of maneuvers during previous circuits may have led the pilots to falsely believe they had completed all necessary checks. Additionally, the headphones worn by the pilots attenuated the audible warning for gear not down and locked, reducing its effectiveness.