What happened
On November 18, 2016, during a scheduled inspection of a PS-28 Cruiser, maintenance personnel identified significant structural damage to the aircraft's landing gear. Specifically, longitudinal cracks and laminate delamination were observed on both the left and right main landing gear struts.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the nature of the damage found on the gear struts. The presence of similar damage on both the left and right sides of the landing gear assembly led investigators to conclude that the components had likely been subjected to loads exceeding the structural design limits. Such high-magnitude stresses are characteristic of a hard landing impacting one or both of the main gear struts.
Findings
- The primary cause of the damage was determined to be a hard landing.
- The aircraft was being operated in a training capacity, which involves a high frequency of take-off and landing cycles.
- The intensity of flight training operations increases the likelihood of components being subjected to high-stress events.