What happened
On June 12, 2021, at approximately 17:05 local time, a Moravan Zlin 526, registration HB-TUO, was performing a private flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at Locarno Airport (LSZL). The aircraft was departing from Locarno with one pilot on board. During the takeoff roll, the main landing gear unexpectedly retracted. In response to this mechanical failure, the pilot immediately aborted the takeoff maneuver. The sudden change in the aircraft's configuration caused the propeller to strike the ground, resulting in serious damage to the propeller.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) opened an inquiry into the incident to determine the technical cause of the gear retraction. The investigation focused on the mechanical sequence of events during the takeoff run and the impact of the gear retraction on the aircraft's stability and the subsequent propeller damage.