What happened
On February 15, 2025, a Cessna 340A, registration HK4967, was performing a check flight as part of an air ambulance operation at Vanguardia Aerodrome (SKVV) in Colombia. After completing a successful touch-and-go maneuver and a subsequent full landing on runway 05, the aircraft began its deceleration roll.
As the aircraft reached low speeds and was approaching taxiway D, the crew initiated a left turn. During this maneuver, the right main landing gear suddenly and inadvertently retracted. This caused the right wing to strike the runway surface, resulting in the immediate stoppage of the number two engine and its propeller. The impact caused the aircraft to skid and execute a sharp 18/0-degree turn across the runway. The crew and a technician on board evacuated the aircraft safely without injuries.
The investigation
The Colombian accident investigation authority (DIACC) examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the mechanical state of the landing gear. Investigators noted that the aircraft had been involved in a similar serious incident on October 7, 2023, at Olaya Herrera Airport, which involved the same landing gear components. Following that previous event, the right main landing gear assembly had undergone significant repairs, including the replacement of the bellcrank, bolt, washer, nut, and trunnion.
Physical inspection of the wreckage revealed damage to the underside of the right wing, abrasion on the wing structure, and deformation of the right propeller blades due to high-energy impact. The investigation also focused on the mechanical integrity of the right main gear, specifically noting the breakage of the bolt and the shearing of the washer and nut.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the inadvertent retraction of the right main landing gear during a low-speed turn.
- The aircraft had undergone extensive repairs to the right main gear assembly in December 2024 following a previous serious incident involving similar failures.
- Damage to the aircraft included minor structural abrasion on the right wing and deformation of the right engine's propeller blades.
- The aircraft was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) at the time of the event.