Synopsis
On 2 February 2018, at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time (14:30 UTC), a Cessna A-188B, registration N-21852, operated by AEROSERVA, S.R.L., was involved in an accident in Sección Pontón, La Vega, Dominican Republic. The aircraft was conducting an agricultural spraying flight over a rice plantation, having departed from Sabana del Rey airstrip. During the operation, the left landing gear struck a gate of an irrigation canal, causing the gear to detach. The pilot executed an emergency landing at Angelina airstrip in Cotuí, touching down only on the right landing gear. The aircraft then slid approximately 150 meters along the runway before the left wing contacted the ground. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The aircraft sustained serious damage, including the loss of the left landing gear and damage to the underside of the left wing.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Company, model A-188B, serial number 18801075. It was equipped with one Teledyne Continental Motors, Inc. IO520D32 reciprocating engine producing 300 hp, and a McCauley B2A34C205 propeller. The airframe had a total of 1,054 hours, and the engine had 569.6 hours since new. The last 100-hour inspection was performed on 29 September 2017. Fuel used was 100 LL. The landing gear was fixed conventional type. The aircraft had one seat.
Pilot Information
The pilot, born 24 February 1949, held a Commercial Pilot certificate with an Instrument rating. His last medical examination was on 21 July 2017. He had accumulated 30,000 total flight hours, including 15,000 hours on the Cessna A-188B. In the preceding 90 days, he flew 80 hours; in the last 30 days, 50 hours; in the last 72 hours, 8 hours; and in the last 24 hours, 3 hours. His aerial activity period began at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the accident, with 10 hours of rest prior. He had flown 40 minutes since the start of the activity.
Meteorological Conditions
The weather forecast for 2 February 2018, issued at 6:00 a.m., indicated a frontal system moving away, with northeast winds and isolated showers.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft suffered the detachment of the left landing gear upon impact with the canal gate. During the emergency landing, the left wing underside was damaged. No other property damage occurred. The pilot was uninjured; no other persons were aboard or affected.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was deficient operational supervision by the operator, failing to detect in time, through the safety management system (SMS), deficiencies in the application of company procedures.