What happened
During the landing phase of flight, the aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure of the left main landing gear. The gear assembly collapsed immediately upon contact with the runway surface.
The investigation
Following the incident, a detailed metallurgical examination was conducted on the failed components. The analysis focused on the left main gear saddle assembly, which had separated completely into three distinct pieces. The fracture occurred specifically through the area near the forward edge of the landing gear strut.
Microscopic and macroscopic inspection of the fracture faces and surrounding material revealed features consistent with an overstressed separation. There were no indications of pre-existing fatigue or corrosion that would suggest a gradual failure process prior to the event; the evidence pointed directly to immediate structural overload at the time of impact.
Findings
The primary finding was the complete structural failure of the left main gear saddle assembly. The separation into three pieces indicates a high-energy fracture event. The location of the break, near the forward edge of the landing gear strut, suggests that the load path was compromised during the landing sequence. The nature of the material features confirms that the failure was due to overstress rather than manufacturing defects or wear.