What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered as privacy data omitted, serial number 34-7870057, was involved in an incident at Tampa Executive Airport (kvdf) in Tampa, FL. The accident resulted in minor damage the aircraft.
Part 61 commercial airplane multiengine flight instruction was being provided by a certified flight instructor (CFI). The purpose of the flight was to prepare the trainee for their commercial pilot multiengine land addon practical test.
The aircraft departed kvdf under visual flight rules (VFR) after 19:00 local time and remained in the vicinity of kvdf. They departed under daylight/dusk conditions and finished during night conditions.
Prior to the incident, the crew performed the kvdf RNAV 23 circle to land runway 5 practice instrument approach. During the appraoch, near the final appraoch fix (faf) the left engine was simulated to have failed. The trainee was to complete the approach with the left engine in a simulated failed condition. The crew explained that they completed the landing checklist but held off on extending the landing gear until they were abeam the runway 5 numbers. The aircraft circled on the north side of the field to enter the left downwind for ruwnay 5. While abeam the runway 5 numbers they explained that they performed a gas, undercarriage, mixtures, props/power, seat belts (gumps) check. They reported that they saw three green lights on the landing gear indicator lights. The crew explained that on base leg another gumps check was performed and flaps were set at approximately 25 degrees.
Prior to touchdown the instructor noted that the aircraft floated longer than usual with power at idle. At the moment of touchdown the instructor heard a skidding noise. The instructor took the controls and decided to land the aircraft. The aircraft landed on runway 5 with the landing gear up in the retracted position.
Emergency services later arrived on scene along with the flight school’s chief instructor and assistant chief instructor.
Prior to the aircraft being lifted/harnessed up, the chief instructor had the assistant chief instructor climb in the aircraft with instructions to not touch anything. While the aircraft was being lifted the landing gear remained in the up position. After the aircraft was lifted the chief instructor then instructed the assistant chief instructor to turn the master switch on. The landing gear immediately came down, locked in position, and indicating three green lights. The aircraft was later towed to the ramp.
The following morning the aircraft was placed on jack stands. No damage was reported to the landing gear doors. Auxillary power was connected to the aircraft and the landing gear was cycled five times without issue or abnormalities. The three green lights operated correctly and only illuminated when the landing gear was fully extended and locked in place.
Post incident inspection revealed that the aircraft suffered damage to all four propellers on both engines from ground impact and minor scarring on the underside of the aircraft from ground contact. No damage was apparent on the landing gear or the landing gear doors.
As the FAA filed it
ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2025, A PIPER PA-34-200T, REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SERIAL NUMBER 34-7870057, WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT AT TAMPA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KVDF) IN TAMPA, FL. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE THE AIRCRAFT.
PART 61 COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE FLIGHT INSTRUCTION WAS BEING PROVIDED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PREPARE THE TRAINEE FOR THEIR COMMERCIAL PILOT MULTIENGINE LAND ADDON PRACTICAL TEST.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KVDF UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) AFTER 19:00 LOCAL TIME AND REMAINED IN THE VICINITY OF KVDF. THEY DEPARTED UNDER DAYLIGHT/DUSK CONDITIONS AND FINISHED DURING NIGHT CONDITIONS.
PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CREW PERFORMED THE KVDF RNAV 23 CIRCLE TO LAND RUNWAY 5 PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APPROACH. DURING THE APPRAOCH, NEAR THE FINAL APPRAOCH FIX (FAF) THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SIMULATED TO HAVE FAILED. THE TRAINEE WAS TO COMPLETE THE APPROACH WITH THE LEFT ENGINE IN A SIMULATED FAILED CONDITION. THE CREW EXPLAINED THAT THEY COMPLETED THE LANDING CHECKLIST BUT HELD OFF ON EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR UNTIL THEY WERE ABEAM THE RUNWAY 5 NUMBERS. THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FIELD TO ENTER THE LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUWNAY 5. WHILE ABEAM THE RUNWAY 5 NUMBERS THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY PERFORMED A GAS, UNDERCARRIAGE, MIXTURES, PROPS/POWER, SEAT BELTS (GUMPS) CHECK. THEY REPORTED THAT THEY SAW THREE GREEN LIGHTS ON THE LANDING GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS. THE CREW EXPLAINED THAT ON BASE LEG ANOTHER GUMPS CHECK WAS PERFORMED AND FLAPS WERE SET AT APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES.
PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN THE INSTRUCTOR NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED LONGER THAN USUAL WITH POWER AT IDLE. AT THE MOMENT OF TOUCHDOWN THE INSTRUCTOR HEARD A SKIDDING NOISE. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 5 WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP IN THE RETRACTED POSITION.
EMERGENCY SERVICES LATER ARRIVED ON SCENE ALONG WITH THE FLIGHT SCHOOL’S CHIEF INSTRUCTOR AND ASSISTANT CHIEF INSTRUCTOR.
PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT BEING LIFTED/HARNESSED UP, THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR HAD THE ASSISTANT CHIEF INSTRUCTOR CLIMB IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING. WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING LIFTED THE LANDING GEAR REMAINED IN THE UP POSITION. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR THEN INSTRUCTED THE ASSISTANT CHIEF INSTRUCTOR TO TURN THE MASTER SWITCH ON. THE LANDING GEAR IMMEDIATELY CAME DOWN, LOCKED IN POSITION, AND INDICATING THREE GREEN LIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LATER TOWED TO THE RAMP.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED ON JACK STANDS. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED TO THE LANDING GEAR DOORS. AUXILLARY POWER WAS CONNECTED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS CYCLED FIVE TIMES WITHOUT ISSUE OR ABNORMALITIES. THE THREE GREEN LIGHTS OPERATED CORRECTLY AND ONLY ILLUMINATED WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED AND LOCKED IN PLACE.
POST INCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE TO ALL FOUR PROPELLERS ON BOTH ENGINES FROM GROUND IMPACT AND MINOR SCARRING ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM GROUND CONTACT. NO DAMAGE WAS APPARENT ON THE LANDING GEAR OR THE LANDING GEAR DOORS.