Cessna 404 Landing Gear Incident at Punta Arenas

Incident Overview and Location On November 20, 2024, at 09:35 local time, a Cessna 404 aircraft was involved in an aviation occurrence at Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport (SCCI) in Punta Arenas, Chile. The aircraft was operating from SCCI to Capitán Fuentes Martínez Aerodrome (SCFM) when it encountered issues shortly after takeoff. ## Operational Sequence After departing SCCI, the pilot observed smoke in the cabin and decided to return to the departure airport. During the landing gear extension, only the main gear indicator lights illuminated, while the nose wheel indicator did not. The pilot also received a low hydraulic pressure alarm and initiated the emergency landing gear extension procedure. ## Landing and Damage Despite the emergency procedure, the nose wheel remained in an unsafe position. The pilot declared an emergency and landed with the possibility of the nose gear collapsing. The nose gear did collapse upon touchdown. The aircraft sustained damage to the forward fuselage, nose gear doors, both engines, and both propellers. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The aircraft carried one pilot and seven passengers, all of whom were uninjured. The pilot was a 34-year-old Chilean commercial pilot with 2,079.7 total flight hours and 75.3 hours on the Cessna 404. The aircraft, a 1979 Cessna 404 with serial number 4040440, had 6,734.39 flight hours. ## Investigation Status The investigation is in its final data collection stage. A leak was found in a hydraulic circuit component during hangar inspection. The operator will acquire or repair the component and conduct operational tests to determine if the hydraulic damage is directly related to the landing gear failure. The investigation remains ongoing.