What happened
On March 23, 2021, a Neiva 56-C-1 aircraft, registration PP-HQU, was performing a local instructional flight at the Presidente Prudente Aerodrome (SBDN) in São Paulo, Brazil. The flight was operated by Aeroclube de Presidente Prudente with an instructor and a student on board. During the landing phase, the aircraft veered off the left side of runway 12. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft, including a broken landing gear, broken propeller blades, and dents on the lower fuselage. Both occupants of the aircraft were uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's main landing gear components following the accident. While the braking system and wheels were found to be functioning normally, the right landing gear strut and wheel axle had fractured. Laboratory analysis revealed that the fracture occurred along the weld seam connecting the landing gear structure to the wheel axle. The fracture surface showed characteristics of a failure due to overload.
Investigators also scrutinized the aircraft's maintenance records. Although the aircraft had undergone a 100-hour inspection only 12 days prior to the accident, the physical condition of the landing gear was inconsistent with recent maintenance. The investigation found evidence of a previous welding repair on the landing gear leg that was not documented in the aircraft's logs. Furthermore, the components exhibited widespread corrosion and significant welding defects, including porosity and cracks, which were not noted in the recent airworthiness inspection records.