Incident Overview
On 20 July 2019 at approximately 21:53 local time, a Cessna TR182, registration YL-LAT, experienced a serious incident during landing at Limbaži airfield (ICAO: EVLI) in Latvia. The aircraft was operated by SIA DreamFlyer and was being used for parachute training. After dropping a group of parachutists, the pilot attempted to land on runway 34R with flaps extended to 400. The landing gear was not extended, and the aircraft contacted the grass runway surface with its fuselage about 195 meters from the runway threshold. It slid for 73.9 meters before coming to a stop. The landing gear control lever was found in the GEAR UP position.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a 1980 Cessna TR182, serial number R182-01407, a single-engine high-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear. It had accumulated approximately 3,600 total flight hours. The pilot, a 67-year-old male Latvian citizen, held an ATPL with a valid SEP(land) rating. He had approximately 22,000 total flight hours, with 33.43 hours on the Cessna 182. On the day of the incident, he had flown 13 flights totaling 6.30 hours. His training on the Cessna 182 included 1.40 hours of instruction completed in June 2018.
Incident Details
No injuries were reported. The aircraft sustained minor structural damage and was considered repairable. There was no fire. A post-incident alcohol test on the pilot returned negative. Examination of the landing gear warning system and extension mechanism revealed no anomalies. The weather at the time was suitable for visual flight rules.
Organizational and Communication Aspects
According to the operator's manual, radio contact should have been maintained between the pilot and the parachute jump coordinator on the ground. On the day of the incident, such radio contact was not established, and parachutists were landing directly on the runway, making it difficult for the pilot to ensure the runway was clear for landing. Additionally, neither the operator nor the pilot reported the incident to the investigation bureau; the bureau learned of it from the civil aviation authority. The airfield's operations manual did not include a requirement to immediately report such incidents to the investigation authority.