What happened
On September 28, 2011, a PIPER PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration EC-IIY, was conducting an instrument flight instructor check flight at the Casarrubios del Monte aerodrome. The flight, operated by American Flyers España, S. L., involved an examiner and an instructor candidate.
During the final approach on runway 08, approximately 15 meters above the threshold, the examiner ordered a go-around. As the instructor candidate advanced the throttles, the aircraft experienced a severe, uncontrollable left yaw. The crew initially believed the left engine had failed. Due to the low altitude and the perceived engine failure, the examiner took control and decided to land on the left side of the runway. To stop the aircraft, the crew retarded the throttles, cut the fuel supply, and applied brakes.
Fearing the aircraft would overshoot the runway and strike an embankment at the end of the strip, the examiner made the decision to retract the landing gear to increase ground friction. However, the retraction mechanism only successfully raised the left main gear. The aircraft continued to slide on the remaining two wheels before the left wingtip and the rear fuselage made contact with the ground. The aircraft came to a stop 160 meters before the end of the runway.
The investigation
The CIAIAC examined the engine performance, the aircraft's maintenance history, and the crew's actions. Post-incident engine tests showed that both Teledyne Continental engines were functioning correctly and within manufacturer limits, ruling out an engine failure. The investigation also analyzed the landing gear's hydraulic retraction system and the physical tracks left on the runway.
Findings
- The severe yaw during the go-around was caused by asymmetric throttle application rather than an engine failure.
- The crew's decision to retract the landing gear during the landing roll was an unapproved procedure not found in the aircraft's flight manuals.
- The landing gear retraction was only partially successful because the system requires the wheels to be off the ground to fully retract, and only the left main gear leg rose.
- The aircraft would not have overshot the runway had the crew simply applied maximum braking without attempting the gear retraction.
Two crew members were uninjured during the incident.