What happened
On July 24, 2014, at 15:10 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration HB-LMM, was performing a private VFR flight at the St. Gallen-Altenrhein (LSZR) regional airfield. The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 28; however, because another aircraft was still taxiing on the active runway, the pilot opted to touch down near the runway threshold in an area not currently in use.
During the landing sequence, the nose wheel made initial contact with the ground, causing the aircraft to bounce. The aircraft eventually settled on all three wheels. As the aircraft continued to taxi, the nose dipped forward, resulting in the rotating propeller striking the runway surface.
The investigation
An investigation by the SUST established that the landing of HB-LMM did not take place on a runway that was officially in use at the time. Due to the nature of the event and the extent of the damage, the authorities concluded the matter with a summary report.
Findings
The investigation identified that the primary cause of the incident was the pilot's decision to land on an inactive portion of the runway to avoid an aircraft taxiing on the active strip. The impact resulted in significant injuries to one passenger and caused structural damage to the aircraft, specifically affecting the nose gear, propeller, fuselage, and windshield.