EADS Socata TB 20 'Trinidad' I-ODSO Incident at Treviso S. Angelo Airport

Incident Overview and Immediate Aftermath On July 27, 2003, at approximately 10:17 UTC (12:17 local time), an EADS Socata TB 20 'Trinidad' aircraft, registered as I-ODSO and owned by the Aero Club 'Ugo Capitanio' of Vicenza, was involved in an incident at Treviso S. Angelo Airport. During the landing phase, the nose gear retracted after initial contact with the runway, causing the aircraft to skid for several meters on its lower engine cowl before coming to a stop. Both the pilot and the passenger on board exited the aircraft unharmed. The Italian Air Force immediately notified the National Agency for the Safety of Flight (ANSV) of the event. The runway was closed for approximately thirty minutes to allow for the removal of the aircraft, which was photographed in its resting position before being moved. Following ANSV authorization, the aircraft was removed, and the runway reopened to traffic at 10:45 UTC. The first on-site investigation was conducted on July 31, 2003. ## Flight History and Pre-Flight Conditions The day before the incident, the pilot was informed by telephone that the aircraft I-ODSO had experienced an issue with a microswitch on the nose gear. This problem prevented the green indicator light, which signals the successful extension and locking of the gear leg, from illuminating. However, the pilot was assured that the issue was confined to the electrical indication circuit and did not affect the actual mechanical locking of the nose gear in the extended position. On the day of the incident, the aircraft had been used for two flights by an Aero Club member. This individual reported no functional anomalies with the landing gear, aside from a slight slowness in completing the extension cycle of the nose gear leg during the first of the two landings. The member then briefly informed the pilot of the subsequent flight that everything was in order. ## Sequence of Events During the Incident Flight The pilot departed from Vicenza Airport at approximately 10:00 UTC, bound for Lussino, Croatia, with one passenger on board. A stop at Treviso S. Angelo Airport was planned prior to reaching Lussino to complete customs procedures. Authorized to land on runway 07, the pilot extended the landing gear and prepared for a long landing to clear the runway quickly, as another aircraft had requested taxi clearance on the frequency. Upon completing the gear extension, the pilot observed that the green indicator light for the nose gear leg remained off, while the lights for the main gear legs illuminated normally. The red indicator light was off. Confident that the anomaly was due to a problem in the signaling circuit, the pilot proceeded with the landing. After contact with the runway, the nose gear leg retracted, the propeller struck the ground, and the aircraft came to a stop after skidding on its lower cowl. Both occupants remained uninjured and evacuated the aircraft independently. ## Damage and Investigation The aircraft sustained abrasions and a break in the lower engine cowl, abrasion to the exhaust gas duct, and deformation of the intake. Neither the occupants nor any third parties suffered physical injuries as a result of the incident. The technical investigation was conducted in accordance with Article 827 of the Navigation Code and Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, with the sole objective of preventing accidents and incidents, excluding any assessment of fault or liability.