AN investigation into a crash-landing at a North-East airport has found that corrosion and lack of lubrication contributed to the accident.

The twin-engined Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II aircraft made a controlled landing at Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA), near Darlington, on July 28 last year.

It ground to a halt on the tarmac after part of its landing gear gave way, coming to rest on one of its propellers, damaging the left engine, propeller, main landing gear, flap and aileron.

Captain Shaun Wilkinson, who had more than 2,000 hours’ flying experience, and his co-pilot, Danny Abel, were unhurt and evacuated the aircraft through the normal entry door.

An investigation into the incident by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that Capt Wilkinson was attempting to land at a nearby private airport when his flight instruments showed the left landing gear had not extended.

After several failed attempted to extend the landing gear, Capt Wilkinson decided to return to DTVA.

A flyby of the airport’s control tower showed all three wheels appeared to be down, and after an emergency procedure, the pilot touched down gently at stall speed.

The report said: “As soon as the wheels touched down, he isolated the fuel and electrics but, as he applied gentle braking, he felt the left side of the aircraft slowly sink towards the runway and saw the left propeller make contact with the ground before the aircraft came to a halt.”

A combination of factors, including corrosion and lack of lubrication had led to stiffness in the downlock mechanism which meant the gear would not lock down fully.