Piper PA-44 Belly Landing at George Aerodrome (ZS-TAI)

Overview and Flight Details On 19 March 2024, a Piper PA-44-180 with registration ZS-TAI was involved in an accident at George Aerodrome (FAGG) in the Western Cape Province. The flight, conducted under visual meteorological conditions, was a training exercise under Part 141 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. The aircraft was operated by a flight instructor and a student pilot, with the intention of returning to FAGG after a conversion check flight. ## Sequence of Events The crew conducted several circuits with simulated engine failures. During the final approach for Runway 29, the flight instructor initiated a go-around due to traffic on the runway. After the go-around, the ATCO instructed the crew to conduct an early right turn for right downwind. On the base leg, the flight instructor initiated another simulated engine failure. The crew reported on final approach, and the ATCO cleared them for landing. However, the landing gear was not lowered, resulting in a belly landing. ## Investigation Findings The investigation revealed that the flight instructor and student pilot forgot to lower the landing gear during the downwind checks and did not verify it during the final approach. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the belly and propellers, but both occupants were uninjured. The probable cause was the aircraft landing with the landing gear retracted, contributing to a belly landing. A contributing factor was the failure to complete the checklist due to task overload for the crew.