What happened
On January 27, 2012, at approximately 3:25 p.m., a Sabreliner NA-265-40, registration YV120T, was landing on runway 17 at Aeropuerto Internacional de las Américas Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez in Santo Domingo. The aircraft, operated by ASERCA AIRLINE, was performing a private flight originating from Caracas, Venezuela, with a destination of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, stopping in Santo Domingo to refuel.
Upon touchdown and subsequent application of the brakes, the right main landing gear tire locked. This caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the right, resulting in a runway excursion into the adjacent grassy safety area. The impact with the terrain caused a dent to the right wingtip and damaged a runway edge light. The two crew members on board were uninjured.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance records, pilot licenses, and the physical evidence at the scene. Investigators noted significant wear on a single point of the right main tire and identified skid marks on the runway consistent with a locked wheel.
Technical analysis focused on the anti-skid system, which is electrically controlled and hydraulically actuated. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that the last annual inspection was recorded in October 2010, meaning the aircraft's airworthiness was not current at the time of the incident. Investigators also noted a specific warning in the aircraft manual stating that the anti-skid protection might not be available if the brakes are applied prior to touchdown.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was a failure of the anti-skid system, which allowed the right main gear tire to lock during braking.
- The right main tire exhibited heavy localized wear due to the locking event.
- A contributing factor may have been improper braking technique, as the aircraft manual warns that applying brakes before touchdown can disable the anti-skid protection.
- The aircraft was not in a state of current airworthiness, as the last recorded annual inspection had expired.
- The investigation was limited by a lack of cooperation and technical assistance from the aircraft operator and Venezuelan aviation authorities, preventing a definitive determination of whether the anti-skid failure was due to a mechanical malfunction or pilot error.