What happened
On March 12, 2008, at approximately 10:15 A.M., a Piper PA-34-200T, registration HI-801, was performing a private flight arriving at El Portillo Aerodrome in Samaná, Dominican Republic. The aircraft had previously flown from Santiago to Santo Domingo before proceeding to its final destination.
As the pilot was landing on runway 09, the nose landing gear collapsed after the aircraft had traveled approximately 800 feet along the runway. The collapse caused the nose and both propellers to strike the pavement. The aircraft came to a complete stop after traveling a total of 1,250 feet. All three occupants on board, including the pilot, were uninjured.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the mechanical state of the landing gear. Records showed that on January 28, 2008, the aircraft underwent an annual inspection, which included compliance with Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2005-13-16. This directive required an inspection of the nose gear centering assembly and the installation of a specific clevis head bolt.
During a subsequent test flight following this maintenance, the nose gear failed to cycle (extend and retract). Consequently, the aircraft was flown to Santiago with the gear locked in the down position to undergo further repairs. The investigation included a post-accident inspection of the wreckage, damage assessments of the propellers and airframe, and interviews with the pilot.
Findings
- The aircraft had recently undergone maintenance to comply with AD 2005-13-16 regarding the nose gear assembly.
- A malfunction was noted during a post-maintenance test flight where the gear failed to retract/extend, necessitating further adjustments.
- The primary cause of the accident was the malfunction of the nose gear centering spring assembly.
- The impact with the runway resulted in deformation of both three-blade propellers and damage to the lower nose section of the airframe.