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| Date: | Friday 15 September 2017 |
| Time: | 11:50 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-39 Twin Comanche C/R |
| Owner/operator: | Glareways (Neasden) Ltd |
| Registration: | G-LARE |
| MSN: | 39-16 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent - |
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | London Southend Airport (SEN/EGMC) |
| London-Biggin Hill Airport (BQH/EGKB) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
AAIB investigation to Piper PA-39 Twin Comanche C/R, G-LARE: Significantly damaged when touched down with undercarriage retracted, Biggin Hill Airport, 15 September 2017. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report
"After flying to Southend, where the pilot flying had just revalidated his instrument rating, the pilot and examiner returned towards Biggin Hill for the pilot to complete a multi-engine proficiency check. The check concluded at Biggin Hill where a number of circuits were to be flown.
Downwind on the final circuit, the aircraft was configured for a simulated asymmetric approach and landing, with intermediate flaps selected and undercarriage down. ATC informed them that they were number two to a Spitfire and Hurricane (based at Biggin Hill) ahead of them and instructed them to orbit to the left once, late downwind.
During the orbit, the pilot retracted the flaps and undercarriage; however, the examiner, whose attention was on the aircraft ahead of them and was not expecting a change in configuration, missed this. After receiving clearance to land, the pilot positioned the aircraft for the approach to land, but neither he nor the examiner realised that the flaps and undercarriage were retracted, and no further landing checks were made. As the aircraft flared, they both heard the propellers and rear fuselage contact the ground and a go-around was immediately initiated.
During the ensuing circuit, they realised that the undercarriage was retracted. This was then extended and the aircraft landed without further incident.
The examiner, who was the commander for the flight, attributed the loss of awareness of the fact that the undercarriage had been retracted to a high workload at the end of a busy two-hour flight, with an unusual ATC instruction to orbit late downwind. Both he and the pilot flying were pre-occupied with carrying out this instruction while trying to make visual contact with the aircraft ahead of them and did not give any thought to making additional checks prior to landing".
=Damage Sustained to airframe=
Per the above AAIB report "Propellers and ADF antenna broken, air-scoop squashed, slight scruff on tail tiedown". The aircraft was repaired and returned to service (with the same owners) and had accumulated a total of 5.379 flying hours at 8 April 2024
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB Report: https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation-to-piper-pa-39-twin-comanche-c-r-g-lare
2. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-LARE/895620
3. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-LARE.html
4. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=1598723&sid=f5f88b686f63fe98144a429d5f14a19c#p1598723
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Biggin_Hill_Airport#Civilian_airport
Location
Media:
G-LARE: Piper PA-39 Twin Commanche at Cotswold Airport, Kemble, Gloucestershire (GBA/EGNP) 14 June 2017
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Jun-2024 05:51 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 14-Jun-2024 05:51 | ASN | Updated |
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