Date:	Friday 12 February 2021
Time:	13:10 LT
Type:	Piper PA-44-180 Seminole
Owner/operator:	BAE Systems
Registration:	G-BGCO
MSN:	44-7995128
Year of manufacture:	1978
Engine model:	Lycoming O-360-E1A6D
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Blackpool Airport, Squire's Gate, Blackpool, Lancashire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Warton Airport (WRT/EGNO)
Destination airport:	Blackpool Airport (BLK/EGNH)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The AAIB Final report into the incident was published on 12 August 2021, and the following is an excerpt from it...

"AAIB investigation to Piper PA-44-180, G-BGCO: Nose landing gear collapsed during landing, Blackpool Airport, Lancashire, 12 February 2021.

The aircraft, a twin-engine low-wing monoplane, had been conducting a routine, local flight in the Warton area. During the recovery to the airfield the landing gear was selected down.

Both main landing gear legs indicated locked down with green indicator lights but the nose landing gear leg showed not locked with a gear unsafe indication. The pilot followed the POH checklist actions, which included recycling the landing gear selection and changing the indicator bulbs, but this did not resolve the problem. The pilot then recycled the landing gear selection using varying applications of positive and negative g in an effort to force the nose landing gear down.

On every selection the nosewheel was seen to travel using a mirror on the engine cowling, and on each occasion it appeared fully down although the gear unsafe indication remained. The aircraft was flown past the ATC tower for external observation and the nose landing gear appeared to be down. The landing gear emergency down lever was pulled but the indications remained, showing both main landing gear legs locked down but the nose landing gear not locked.

After consultation over RTF with the factory test pilot at Warton, it was decided to fly the aircraft to Blackpool Airport where suitable engineering facilities were available. The aircraft landed on Runway 10 at Blackpool, the nose landing gear collapsed on touchdown and the aircraft came to rest with its nose on the ground.

Damage was sustained to both engines, both propellors and the nose landing gear. The pilot was able to vacate the aircraft via the cockpit door and was uninjured. The damage to the aircraft was assessed as being beyond economic repair, so no further technical investigation into the cause was carried out.

=AAIB Analysis=
The pilot had anticipated the possibility of the nose landing gear collapsing on touchdown and diverted the aircraft to Blackpool so that suitable engineering facilities would be available after landing to support the recovery of the aircraft. The collapse of the nose landing gear precipitated the damage to the engines, propellers and nose landing gear but the aircraft was brought to a safe halt on the runway.

During ground testing the landing gear failed to operate correctly on battery power or through use of the emergency system. There have been previous incidences of distortion or failure of the pivot bolt connecting the upper and lower drag assemblies, and it is likely that this contributed to the difficulty in moving the nose landing gear in the hangar and it not lowering correctly in flight.

=AAIB Conclusion=
It is likely that damage to the pivot bolt in the nose landing gear was sufficient to restrict movement and prevent the nose landing gear locking down".

=Damage Sustained to Airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report, the airframe was "Damaged beyond economic repair". As a result, the registration G-BCGO was cancelled (aircraft de-registered). The airframe was 42 years old, having been built in 1978

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6114e03c8fa8f53dc274c719/Piper_PA-44-180_G-BGCO_08-21.pdf
2. https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/plane-forced-make-emergency-landing-blackpool-airport-what-happened-3135362
3. Lancashire Evening Post 15 February 2021: https://www.lep.co.uk/archive/2021-02-15
4. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/GBGCO
5. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/G-BGCO
6. https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9859264
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackpool_Airport
8. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-BGCO/893785

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

19 October 2016

G-BGCO

BAe Systems (Operations) Ltd

0

Warton Aerodrome, Preston, Lancashire

min

Scary stuff today at Blackpool Airport. This plane crash landed because it’s front undercarriage wouldn’t lower. pic.twitter.com/q7tomD1I9O

— Blackpool Airport Supporters (@SaveBlackpoolAP) February 12, 2021

Piper PA-44-180 Seminole G-BGCO as a visitor to the Shuttleworth Collection's 2013 Autumn Airshow at Old Warden 6-10-2013:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Feb-2021 15:24	gerard57	Added
15-Feb-2021 16:28	Geno	Updated [Cn, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source]
15-Feb-2021 20:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
15-Feb-2021 20:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Location, Embed code, Narrative]
15-Feb-2021 20:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
16-Feb-2021 20:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
28-Jul-2021 14:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Category]
12-Aug-2021 19:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative]
13-Aug-2021 06:23	harro	Updated [Embed code, Narrative, Accident report]