What happened
On December 1, 2012, at approximately 20:30 UTC, a Cessna 180D, registration PT-BMG, was performing an operational maintenance flight from Batatais, SP, to Jaú, SP. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in favorable meteorological conditions. Prior to the accident, the pilot had performed a touch-and-go maneuver at Ibitinga, SP, and was proceeding to the destination for a full landing.
During the landing roll at Aeródromo Fazenda Morro Vermelho, the right main landing gear collapsed. This failure caused the propeller blades to strike the runway pavement, which subsequently led to a total engine stoppage. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, the right wing, and the right main landing gear strut. The pilot remained uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators recovered components of the brake assembly and the right main landing gear attachment structure from the site. These parts were sent to the Materials Division of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) for technical analysis.
Laboratory findings revealed that a cylindrical bar within the landing gear structure had failed due to fatigue. Following the failure of this bar, the remaining components of the gear assembly suffered fractures caused by overload. The investigation found no evidence of corrosion or other environmental factors that would have accelerated the fatigue process.