What happened
The aircraft experienced a loss of control while conducting the landing roll. The incident was initiated by a sudden failure of one of the main landing gear tires. As the aircraft decelerated on the runway, the tire developed a flat, which immediately compromised the pilot's ability to maintain directional control.
The investigation
Following the incident, maintenance personnel dismantled the failed tire assembly to determine the root cause of the malfunction. Examination of the inner tube revealed a manufacturing defect located specifically at the joint seam. This structural weakness in the seam led to the sudden rupture of the tube under operational pressure.
The inspection records indicated that the aircraft had accumulated a total of 407 hours of operation time, and the tire itself was also rated for 407 hours. The failure occurred shortly after the aircraft had undergone its required 100-hour inspection, which took place just 53 hours prior to the event. Despite the recent maintenance check, the latent defect in the tire tube was not detected.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the loss of control was the defective inner tube joint seam. The abrupt failure of the tire during the critical phase of ground handling resulted in an immediate and uncontrollable deviation from the intended flight path. The proximity of the failure to the last scheduled inspection highlights that certain manufacturing defects may evade standard routine checks.