What happened
On 10 February 2020, a Tecnam P2006T, registration LY-MEP, was conducting a flight training mission at Castellón Airport, Spain. The flight, operated by a flight school, was intended to practice takeoff and landing maneuvers. After completing an initial successful takeoff and landing, the crew prepared for a second landing.
During the approach, the crew decided to delay their landing to allow another student pilot, who was preparing for a solo flight, to take priority. While the crew believed they had performed the necessary approach and final checklists—including verifying the three green landing gear position lights—the aircraft actually touched down with the gear not fully extended. The instructor initially believed the aircraft had experienced a tail strike, but the crew realized the gear was improperly configured when the underside of the fuselage scraped the runway. Following the contact, smoke appeared in the cockpit, prompting an immediate evacuation. No injuries were reported.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's condition and the crew's actions. Post-incident inspection revealed that the main landing gear (MLG) was completely retracted and the nose landing gear (NLG) was semi-retracted. A puddle of hydraulic fluid was discovered beneath the nose wheel. The aircraft sustained minor damage, including scratches to the fuselage underside, detached antennas, and dents to the landing gear doors.
Findings
- The main landing gear was fully retracted and the nose landing gear was partially retracted at the time of impact.
- The crew failed to properly execute the approach and final checklists.
- The crew's decision to prioritize other traffic led to a delay in their landing sequence, during which the landing gear configuration was not correctly verified.
- Failure to adhere to flight procedures was the primary cause of the incident.