What happened
On January 6, 2022, a Piper PA 34-200T Seneca, registration HK5078, was operating an air ambulance mission from Quibdó to Medellín, Colombia. The flight proceeded normally until the aircraft landed on runway 02 at Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport at 11:59 HL.
During the landing rollout, as the pilot applied the brakes, the nose landing gear unexpectedly retracted. This caused the nose of the aircraft to strike the runway, resulting in the plane sliding approximately 20 meters. All 6 occupants—including the flight crew, medical staff, a patient, and an escort—were able to evacuate the aircraft safely and were uninjured. The aircraft sustained significant damage, including structural damage to the nose compartment and damage to the propeller blades, which caused both engines to stop abruptly.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the nose gear assembly. Investigators discovered that the aircraft had previously experienced a nose gear failure at a different location, which had led to repairs involving the installation of a reinforcement plate on the firewall.
Upon inspection, investigators found that the maintenance performed during those previous repairs was substandard. Specifically, the repair involved drilling new, non-original holes and using rivets that did not meet the manufacturer's specifications. This improper installation caused the reinforcement plate to shift under the forces of braking, leading to the structural failure of the firewall and the subsequent loss of the nose gear's locked position.