What happened
On May 7, 2024, a Cessna 150F, registration HI-905, was conducting a private flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) from Cibao International Airport toward the Boca de Mao landing strip in Valverde Province. The aircraft was carrying two occupants at the time of the event.
During the execution of a second landing at the Boca de Mao dirt strip, the aircraft's nose landing gear collapsed. This mechanical failure caused the aircraft to travel approximately 150 meters along the runway. As the aircraft lost speed, the increased friction from the collapsed gear caused the plane to veer left toward an unpaved area and subsequently pitch forward, resulting in the aircraft coming to rest in an inverted position.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation team was notified of the accident on the day of the occurrence and deployed to the site immediately. The investigation focused on evaluating several critical factors, including operational procedures, human performance, airworthiness, meteorological conditions, and the topography of the landing area.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the collapse of the nose landing gear during the landing roll.
- The loss of directional control and the subsequent forward overturn were driven by the high friction generated by the collapsed gear against the unpaved surface.
- There were zero fatalities and zero injuries reported among the two occupants.
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact and the rollover.