Nose Gear Collapse of Piper PA-34-200 Seneca at Vrchlabí Airport (OK-LFC)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 2 January 2013, a Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-34-200 Seneca, registration OK-LFC, operated by Let's Fly s.r.o., was involved in an accident at Vrchlabí Airport. The aircraft, manufactured in 1972 with serial number 34-7250312, had a total airframe time of 7,289 hours and 25 minutes. The incident occurred at 13:45 UTC during the taxiing phase after landing. ## Flight Sequence and Accident Description The pilot departed from Ostrava Mošnov Airport at 12:45 UTC and flew directly to Vrchlabí. The flight duration was approximately one hour. The pilot reported that the flight was uneventful, with no turbulence and continuous visual contact with the ground. Approximately 10 minutes before entering the Vrchlabí Airport Traffic Zone (ATZ), the pilot began a descent from Flight Level 65 to the circuit altitude. Because the airport was uncontrolled, the pilot elected to make a direct landing on Runway 29. The pilot stated that all landing checks were completed approximately 2 km from the runway threshold. During the final approach, the pilot repeatedly verified the landing gear indication and the position of the nose gear, which were reported to be normal. The aircraft touched down smoothly approximately 150 to 200 meters from the threshold of Runway 29, slightly to the left of the runway centerline. After touchdown, the pilot allowed the aircraft to slow down while performing post-landing procedures. The pilot then began a gradual left turn toward the passenger boarding area. Approximately two meters from the left edge of Runway 29, with the aircraft turned 60 to 70 degrees from the runway centerline, the nose gear suddenly retracted. This caused the nose of the aircraft to strike the runway surface. The contact resulted in damage to the rotating propellers and the forced shutdown of both engines. The pilot subsequently shut off the electrical system, closed the fuel, and turned off the engine ignition. ## Damage and Personnel The pilot, a 22-year-old male holding a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) with various ratings, was not injured. The aircraft sustained damage to the laminated nose cover, the nose gear door mechanism, and the blades of both propellers. Both engines were forcibly stopped, and their cowls were deformed. No other damage occurred at the accident site. ## Investigation Findings The investigation was conducted by the Institute for Expert Investigation of Causes of Aviation Accidents (ÚZPLN) in accordance with EU Regulation 996/2010 and ICAO Annex 13. The primary objective was the prevention of future accidents without the determination of fault or liability. Post-accident technical inspections of the aircraft, including the removal of the engines for authorized service inspection, did not reveal any technical defects in the nose gear mechanism or any issues that would have limited the aircraft's controllability on the ground. The condition of the aircraft was consistent with its age and flight hours. ## Environmental and Operational Factors The runway surface at Vrchlabí was covered with 3.0 to 5.0 cm of wet snow, and the underlying ground was frozen due to previous frosts. Frozen clumps of clay were randomly present on the surface. During the investigation, a frozen clay clump approximately 10 cm in diameter and 7 to 10 cm in height was found in the nose wheel track, 8.4 meters from the aircraft's final resting position. The first marks of the nose contacting the runway surface were found near this clump. The investigation noted that the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) had previously published information regarding nose gear retraction incidents involving the PA-34 type. The final report was issued on 20 May 2013.