Piaggio Aero Industries S P A AVANTI P-180 C-GPIA

Summary

On 7 December 2007 at about 17:15 local time, a Piaggio Aero Industries S P A AVANTI P-180 registered C-GPIA was involved in an accident near Battle Mountain, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 December 2007 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Battle Mountain, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Battle Mountain (BAM)

Coordinates

40.6000, -116.8667

Aircraft

Piaggio Aero Industries S P A AVANTI P-180

Registration

C-GPIA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Reno → Battle Mountain

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08CA036

Nobody was injured.

The flight crew's failure to follow published procedures/directives in the Pilot's Operating Handbook during landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the landing roll, the flight crew engaged the nose wheel steering just below 60 knots indicated airspeed, and the airplane made an abrupt left turn. The crew attempted to correct the turn, but were unsuccessful. The airplane completed a 180-degree turn, and slid backwards down the runway before it departed the left side of the pavement. The right main landing gear collapsed after sinking in soft mud. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right aileron, and the fuselage. Examination of the nose gear steering system, hydraulics, brakes, and rudder system by an FAA airworthiness inspector, and a representative from the airplane's manufacturer, found no mechanical anomalies. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) states that "Steering engagement during landing is prohibited." The POH requires that the nose wheel steering be disengaged at or before 60 knots during the takeoff. During the interview with the pilots, they said they were unaware of the prohibition against engaging the nose wheel steering during landing. They noted that because the steering system is used up to 60 knots during takeoff, they assumed that the nose gear steering was to be engaged after touchdown during the landing roll, while slowing through 60 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.