Incident Overview
On 5 December 2003 at 1757 UTC, a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, registered N8326Y, experienced a series of malfunctions while on a private flight from Jersey Airport to Kortrijk, Belgium. The aircraft, manufactured in 1967 and powered by two Lycoming IO-320-B1A piston engines, was operated by a single pilot with a Commercial Pilot's Licence and 896 hours total flying experience, including 20 hours on type. Two passengers were on board.
Sequence of Events
Approximately 20 minutes after departure, while under the control of Brest Air Traffic Control, the pilot was advised that his transponder code was not being received. Despite attempts to reset the transponder, the problem persisted, and the pilot was subsequently refused entry into controlled airspace. He decided to return to Jersey. Shortly thereafter, the communications radio transmitter appeared to fail, followed by a complete loss of all electrical power.
The pilot declared an emergency using a hand-held radio and received radar vectors from Jersey Air Traffic Control, whose assistance he later praised. He lowered the landing gear using the emergency extension system and completed landing checks with a passenger providing torchlight for instrument monitoring. Unable to confirm the gear was locked, he performed two passes of the control tower, which reported the gear appeared extended. He then made an approach to Runway 09.
During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed, shortly followed by both main landing gear legs. The aircraft slid a short distance along the runway before coming to rest. The three occupants evacuated normally without injury.
Post-Accident Inspection
Approximately six weeks later, the Belgian maintenance company that serviced N8326Y inspected the aircraft. They found the battery weak but still capable of providing electrical power. The landing gear had been manually placed in the down-and-locked position after the accident, and the gear indicating lights showed three greens. No electrical system problems could be reproduced. As the aircraft was not on jacks, the operation of the landing gear emergency extension mechanism was not investigated.
The owner's insurance company declared the aircraft a total loss, primarily due to the cost of shipping to a mainland repair facility. However, the salvage was purchased with the intention of rebuilding the aircraft, a process expected to take considerable time. Any significant findings from future in-depth investigations will be reported to the AAIB and published in a future AAIB Bulletin.