What happened
On September 27, 2015, a Tecnam P2008-JC, registration HB-KMJ, was conducting a dual instruction flight when it experienced a landing gear failure at the Basel-Mulhouse aerodrome. The instructor reported that the aircraft touched down normally on runway 15. While taxiing at a low speed, the crew felt intense vibrations originating from the nose gear. Shortly after exiting the runway, the nose gear assembly failed, causing the aircraft to come to a rest on its nose. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the landing gear assembly. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the nose gear had failed at the weld points located on the upper portion of the gear leg. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had a total of 128 flight hours.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a structural failure of the nose gear welds.
- The failure occurred during low-speed taxiing following a normal landing.
Safety action
Following the occurrence, the manufacturer, Tecnam, issued Service Bulletin No. 215 (Edition 1, dated November 2, 2015). This bulletin recommends that operators inspect the nose gear welds every 25 flight hours to check for any signs of deformation or cracking.