What happened
On September 27, 2018, a Cessna 210L, registration CP-2744, operated by Aerotaxi Ariel, was landing on runway 14 at Selin Zeitun Lopez Airport in Riberalta, Bolivia. The flight had departed from Cobija with the pilot and three passengers. Approximately 600 meters from the runway threshold during the landing roll, the nose gear strut detached from the fork.
The separation caused the nose gear assembly to drag along the pavement for approximately 100 meters until the fork broke away from the main hydraulic strut. This secondary failure caused the propeller to strike the runway surface, leading to an additional 50 meters of uncontrolled travel before the aircraft came to a complete stop. All four occupants evacuated the aircraft safely and sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The Bolivian DGAC-AIG investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance logs, the pilot's credentials, and the physical wreckage. Investigators inspected the nose gear assembly and the runway surface at the site of the accident. The investigation also reviewed the flight plan, fuel records, and meteorological conditions present at the time of the event.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a maintenance failure involving a defective bolt used to secure the wheel to the nose gear fork.
- The nose gear fork sustained irreparable damage and multiple fractures.
- The propeller blades suffered bends of up to 45 degrees due to ground contact.
- The pilot was fully qualified, with a valid commercial license and sufficient flight experience.
- Weather conditions were within VFR limits and did not contribute to the event.
- Maintenance records indicated that previous nose gear servicing had been performed by an approved maintenance organization.
- Contributing factors included deficiencies in the scheduling and oversight of maintenance programs for aircraft components.