What happened
On June 30, 2013, at approximately 6:40 p.m., a Czech SportCruiser, registration N8806R, was performing a private flight at Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic. After approximately 30 minutes of flight time in the surrounding area, the aircraft was in the landing phase on runway 11. Upon contact with the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft's nose to strike the pavement abruptly. The aircraft slid approximately 20 meters along the asphalt before coming to a stop. The two occupants on board were uninjured.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear and the maintenance history of the aircraft. Investigators examined the wreckage, which included a broken nose gear strut, a damaged propeller blade, and lacerations to the lower nose section. The investigation included a review of the aircraft's maintenance logs and an analysis of the metal fracture at the site of the gear failure. Additionally, the investigators reviewed the pilot's records and the prevailing meteorological conditions at the time of the event.
Findings
- The fracture in the nose gear strut exhibited evidence of progressive metal fatigue, likely caused by the structural stress associated with the aircraft's typical training flight operations.
- There was no evidence that the mandatory manufacturer's Safety Directive (SD-SC-005, issued September 6, 2008), which requires a special inspection of the nose landing gear, had been implemented. The maintenance workshop expressed a lack of awareness regarding this directive.
- Because this mandatory inspection had not been performed, the aircraft was not in an airworthy condition at the time of the accident.
- Meteorological conditions were favorable for flight, with visibility exceeding 10 km and light winds.