Accident
On 4 May 2019 at 2159 UTC, a Learjet 45 (registration C-GMCP) experienced a nose landing gear (NLG) collapse during pushback at Edinburgh Airport. The aircraft was being operated as a commercial air transport (non-revenue) flight with two crew and two passengers on board. No injuries were reported. Damage was limited to the nose landing gear leg, its support, and actuating mechanism.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft, a Learjet 45, was manufactured in 2000 (serial number 45-126). It was equipped with two Honeywell TFE731-20BR-1B turbofan engines. The Commander held an Airline Transport Pilot's Licence and had 12,920 total flying hours, including 2,669 hours on type.
History of the Flight
The flight crew started both engines at the gate. A TLD 150 Max tug was used for pushback. As the tug turned the aircraft to align with the taxiway, the NLG suddenly collapsed aft, bringing the aircraft to rest. During pushback, the co-pilot was adjusting his rudder pedals and later stated he might have inadvertently tapped the brakes, though he was not aware of doing so.
Examination
The NLG on this Learjet 45 retracts forward. The NLG actuator bracket, attached to the front of the nose leg, failed due to overload. Metallurgical examination showed no evidence of material defects or fatigue. The aircraft manufacturer noted that the damage patterns were similar to those from a previous Learjet 45 incident (MSN 2129) at their production facility, which also involved brake application during pushback. The manufacturer was aware of two other in-service events (MSN 181 and MSN 202) where brake application during pushback caused the same rearward NLG collapse.
Conclusion
The NLG collapse on aircraft C-GMCP was most likely caused by inadvertent brake application during pushback.