What happened
On November 8, 2019, an Aero Commander AC-50．S, registration OB-1689, was conducting a flight instruction mission consisting of navigation, touch-and-go, and takeoff maneuvers. The flight originated from Pisco and was destined for the María Reiche Neuman Aerodrome in Nazca, Peru.
The aircraft's arrival proceeded normally, with the main landing gear making contact with the runway without incident. However, after the aircraft had traveled several meters and significantly reduced its speed, the nose gear made contact with the runway. Immediately following this contact, the nose gear retracted, causing the nose of the aircraft to drop. This sequence resulted in friction damage to the nose gear doors and the lower section of the nose. The engines and propellers remained undamaged.
There were no injuries to the two occupants, consisting of an instructor pilot and a student pilot, who were able to exit the aircraft on their own.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation involved field inquiries and coordination with the aircraft manufacturer and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Following the event, the aircraft was moved to a maintenance facility at Nazca airport. Investigators focused on inspecting the landing gear extension and retraction system to identify the mechanical or hydraulic failure that caused the nose gear to retract during the landing roll.