What happened
During the takeoff phase of flight, the crew initiated an aborted takeoff procedure. In an effort to steer the aircraft away from a section of the runway covered in weak ice, a groundloop maneuver was attempted. During this sequence of events, the force applied to the landing gear resulted in the undercarriage being torn from the aircraft.
Findings
- The primary cause of the structural damage was the attempt to execute a groundloop to avoid hazardous surface conditions.
- The presence of weak ice on the runway surface necessitated the sudden change in flight path and subsequent aborted takeoff.