What happened
On 3 August 2003, a Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II, registration G-BMUT, was conducting a training flight at Newcastle Airport. The flight involved a sequence of maneuvers, beginning with a touch-and-go followed by a simulated engine failure and a single-engine circuit.
During the downwind leg of the circuit, the pilot had to extend the flight path to accommodate departing traffic. This delay resulted in the selection of the landing gear being postponed until the final approach. Although the landing gear lever was moved to the 'DOWN' position, the aircraft made contact with the runway with the gear retracted. The impact caused extensive damage to the underside of the fuselage, the propeller blades, and the left wing spar. No injuries were reported among the two crew members.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the gear selection and the cockpit environment. A subsequent inspection of the aircraft by another instructor verified that the landing gear lever was indeed in the 'DOWN' position at the time of the incident. The pilot acknowledged that while the lever was moved, he had failed to confirm that the three green landing gear lights had illuminated.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the pilot's failure to verify the extension of the landing gear via the cockpit indicator lights.
- The pilot's oversight was likely influenced by an increased workload associated with performing a single-engine approach.
- A deviation from the standard pre-landing check sequence and distractions from other aircraft operating in the vicinity contributed to the error.
- The pilot noted that maintaining physical contact with the landing gear lever until the lights confirmed deployment could have prevented the error.