What happened
On December 13, 2017, at approximately 13:28 local time, flight PVN214, a Boeing 737-530 registered as OB-2124-P, was arriving at Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco, Peru, from Lima. Following air traffic control instructions, the crew initiated the approach into the wind, configuring the aircraft with 15 degrees of flaps and landing gear extended. The crew was advised of variable winds between 10 and 18 knots.
During the base leg, the crew attempted to regulate the airspeed to a reference speed of 135 knots. However, flight data recorder analysis indicates that upon facing runway 28, the airspeed averaged 160 knots, resulting in an unstabilized approach throughout the final phase. The aircraft's SINKRATE alarm activated intermittently during the descent. The aircraft touched down at 140 knots (Vref + 5 knots).
Immediately following touchdown, intense vibrations developed in the left landing gear, which increased as the aircraft decelerated. While the pilot maintained the aircraft on the centerline and exited the runway via taxiway Delta, debris from the landing gear was left on the runway. There were no injuries among the 76 occupants (68 passengers and 8 crew members).
The investigation
The CIAA investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear components and the flight parameters during the approach. Maintenance inspections of the left landing gear revealed several broken components, including the upper and lower torsion links, the damper, and the damper support. Additionally, investigators found two broken brake hoses resulting in hydraulic fluid leakage, two wheels with internal cuts, and two inoperable brake assemblies.
Data from the MiniQAR, FDR, and CVR were analyzed to reconstruct the flight profile. The investigation established that the sequence of events began with the unstabilized approach and culminated in a "shimmy damper" effect, which generated resonant vibrations leading to the structural damage.