Accident to the Piper PA-34-200 Seneca registered F-BVEE on 06/02/2020 at Perpignan-Rivesaltes (Pyrénées-Orientales)

Cat. 3 investigation report: report concerning an occurrence with limited consequences, based on one or more statements not independently validated by the BEA.

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation published in December 2020. As accurate as the translation may be, the original text in French is the work of reference.

Note: the following information is principally based on statements made by the instructor and the pilot in training.  This information has not been independently validated by the BEA .

1 - HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT

The pilot in training, accompanied by the instructor and a passenger, took off from Perpignan-Rivesaltes aerodrome for a local flight.

On returning to the aerodrome, he carried out runway circuits on runway 33[1]. On the third circuit, the instructor suggested to the pilot in training that he carry out a simulated single-engine approach. After a briefing between the two crew members, the pilot in training started the exercise. In order to simulate the failure of the right engine, the propeller of this engine was feathered. The final approach was stabilized.

During the flare, an excessive nose-up input caused the aeroplane to enter an abnormally high attitude and low speed. Aware of this unusual situation, the pilot in training decided to go-around. To do so, he applied full power to the left engine.

Instantly, the aeroplane yawed and rolled sharply to the right, bringing it off the paved runway surface.

The instructor called out "no" to express his disagreement with the decision to go around, especially on a single engine. He took back control to bring the aeroplane back onto the runway, which he managed to do. The left main landing gear touched the runway, then the nose gear violently hit the ground and collapsed.

The plane finally came to stop on the runway with the airframe, the nose gear and the propellers of the two engines damaged.

2 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

2.1 Pilot in training information

The 47-year-old pilot in training was on CRI(A) Class Rating Instructor training course at Aeropyrenees.

He held an ATPL(A) airline transport pilot license and an FI(A) instructor rating issued in December 2019. He had logged 4,200 flight hours, including one hour on the Piper PA-34.

In the three months prior to the accident, he had logged one flight hour, exclusively on the Piper PA-34.

He explained that he had intended to perform a single engine go-around because his situational awareness was still based on the approach in the N-1 engine configuration.

2.2  Instructor information

The 49-year-old instructor, who held a CPL(A) commercial pilot license, an FI(A) flight instructor rating, a CRI(A) class rating instructor and an IRI(A) instrument rating instructor, had logged 8,200 flight hours, including 1,332 hours on the Piper PA-34. In the three months prior to the accident, he had logged 84 flight hours, including 32 hours on the Piper PA-34.