What happened
On the evening of 30 May 2001, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration G-BGFT, was conducting a solo night navigation training flight. The flight, operated by a student pilot, was intended to include a touch-and-go landing at Coventry Airport before returning to Oxford.
Upon arrival at Coventry, the pilot was provided with radar vectors for an ILS approach to Runway 23. Weather conditions were favorable, characterized by good visibility and minimal cloud cover at 3,200 feet. While the pilot reported performing the necessary landing and finals checks—including verifying that the landing gear indicators showed three green lights—the aircraft failed to land correctly. During the flare, the aircraft settled onto the runway with the landing gear in a partially retracted state. This resulted in the propellers striking the runway surface, causing the engines to stop and the aircraft to come to a halt halfway down the runway. The pilot exited the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing gear deployment and the pilot's pre-landing procedures. While the student pilot maintained that the gear was checked and confirmed as extended, the flight instructor noted discrepancies in the student's performance. The investigation established that the landing gear was not fully extended at the moment of touchdown, causing the underside of the fuselage and the propellers to sustain damage.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained minor damage to the fuselage underside and significant damage to the propellers.
- The primary cause of the accident was that the landing gear was only partially extended during the landing flare.
- Evidence suggested that the required pre-landing and finals checks may not have been performed correctly, as the gear was only selected for extension as the aircraft was already settling toward the surface.