What happened
On July 6, 2013, a Piper PA-28R-200, registration PT-ITQ, departed from Aeródromo Nacional de Aviação (SWNV) in Goiânia, Brazil, for a local flight over Itaboraí, GO. The aircraft was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) with a pilot and one passenger on board.
During the return to the airfield, while on final approach, the pilot's attention was divided between landing preparations and monitoring another aircraft that had recently landed and was clearing the runway. Consequently, the command to extend the landing gear was not executed. The aircraft touched down on the runway with the landing gear in the retracted position. The impact caused the engine to stop abruptly, resulting in damage to the propeller blades, and caused substantial damage to the lower fuselage structure. The aircraft traveled approximately 65 meters along the runway before coming to a stop. Both occupants were unharmed.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's landing gear indication system, which utilizes three green lights to indicate the gear is down and locked. The system also features a red light on the upper left panel that illuminates when the gear is not locked if the power lever is reduced below 14 inches. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's electrical system did not include an audible warning for the gear position.
Post-incident inspections of the landing gear retraction and extension system showed that the mechanism was functioning normally. The pilot's documentation, including medical and technical certifications, was found to be valid, as was the aircraft's airworthiness certificate and maintenance logs.