What happened
On February 22, 2025, at approximately 19:40 local time, a Piper PA32R-301 was involved in a ground incident at Aeródromo Gamboa in Castro, Chile. The aircraft, operated by a private pilot, was taxiing along the eastern side of the runway toward Threshold 34 as part of a local flight program associated with an ongoing airshow.
While taxiing approximately 280 meters before the runway start, the nose landing gear struck a stone located in the aircraft's path. The impact caused the nose gear to retract unexpectedly, resulting in the aircraft pitching forward. This movement caused the propeller and the lower forward section of the fuselage to make contact with the ground, bringing the aircraft to a halt.
All six occupants (the pilot and five passengers) were able to exit the aircraft on their own. There were no injuries reported following the event.
The investigation
DGAC Chile investigators examined the aircraft and the site of the occurrence. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was positioned on the eastern side of the runway, facing south. Physical inspection of the aircraft revealed that the nose gear strut had retracted and the propeller had sustained damage from ground contact.
Investigators identified a stone directly beneath the aircraft's nose gear, which served as the point of impact. The investigation also noted that the landing gear control lever inside the cockpit was in the down position at the time of the incident. Meteorological conditions at the time of the event were reported as having unlimited visibility.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the impact between the nose landing gear and a stone located on the taxi path.
- The force of the impact triggered the retraction of the nose gear assembly.
- The aircraft's safety belts functioned correctly, contributing to the fact that there were no injuries to the crew or passengers.