Flight Details
The aircraft was operating a regular scheduled flight from Cancún to Mexico City, carrying 139 passengers and five crew members. The flight was uneventful until the approach phase.
Accident Sequence
After an unstabilized approach, the aircraft landed on runway 05L at an excessive speed. Following touchdown, severe vibrations occurred, and the left main landing gear collapsed after the aircraft had traveled 1,097 meters. The airplane then slid for an additional 980 meters before coming to rest. All 144 occupants evacuated safely, but the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation identified the probable cause as a fracture of the shimmy damper piston, which led to the retraction of the left leg assembly of the landing gear. This was due to vibrations during the landing run that could not be damped because of wear and play existing between the dynamic parts of the links, fittings, and apex joint of the shimmy damper.
Contributing factors included the unstabilized approach, inadequate servicing of the shimmy damper and shock strut, landing with a low rate of descent, wear in the apex joint due to play between it and the lower torsion link, and landing with high ground speed and low descent rate.