What happened
On 06 November 2015, a Piper PA-30, registration ZS-EVB, was engaged in circuit training maneuvers at Vereeniging Aerodrome (FAVV). The flight, operated by African Skyline Pty Ltd, involved an instructor pilot and a student pilot traveling from Rand Aerodrome (FAGM) for the purpose of performing touch-and-go landings.
During the sixth circuit of the training session, the aircraft approached Runway 03. Upon touchdown, the landing gear failed to meet the runway surface, causing the propeller to strike the ground and the aircraft to skid on its underbelly. While the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the lower fuselage, there were no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the flight sequence and interviewed the crew. The instructor pilot reported that they were unaware the gear had not been extended until the impact occurred. Following the touchdown, the instructor queried the student pilot regarding the landing gear status; the student pilot believed the gear was properly down and locked, asserting that all necessary downwind and final checks had been completed.
Post-incident inspections of the aircraft were conducted to determine if mechanical failure played a role. A retraction test cycle was performed on the landing gear, which revealed no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions in the system.
Findings
The primary cause of the incident was pilot error, specifically the student pilot's failure to select the landing gear down position prior to landing. Although the student pilot believed all checklists had been executed, the undercarriage remained retracted during the approach to Runway 03.