What happened
On March 28, 2000, a Piper PA-28R-180, registration EC-BNY, was conducting a flight instruction mission from Madrid/Cuatro Vientos airport to the Casarrubios del Monte aerodrome. The aircraft was operated by a commercial pilot instructor and a student pilot.
During the approach to Casarrubios del Monte, as the aircraft was over the runway and preparing to touch down, the pilot of another aircraft waiting to enter the runway alerted the crew that the landing gear had not been extended. In response to this warning, the crew applied power to initiate a go-around. However, during this maneuver, the propeller blade tips and the tail hook made contact with the runway pavement.
Following the incident, the crew performed a second approach and successfully landed the aircraft without further issues. The incident resulted in no injuries to the two occupants, though the aircraft sustained minor deformations to the propeller tips and the tail hook.
The investigation
The investigation focused on why the landing gear remained retracted during the initial landing attempt. The crew did not report any mechanical issues with the landing gear system, and the gear functioned normally during the subsequent successful landing. The investigation also examined the performance of the aircraft's cockpit warning systems.
Findings
- The investigation established that the landing gear was fully functional and that the crew forgot to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown.
- The aircraft was equipped with an acoustic warning device designed to alert the crew if the gear was not deployed during the landing phase.
- Although the warning device activated as intended, the crew failed to perceive the audible alert.