What happened
During the landing phase at Ciudad del Camargo Airport, the aircraft encountered a pothole on the runway surface. The impact with this depression caused the left main landing gear to be completely severed from the airframe. Following the loss of the gear, the left engine made contact with the ground.
The force of the impact resulted in a propeller blade detaching from the engine assembly. This detached component struck the cockpit area, resulting in one fatality (the captain).
Following the structural failure and engine contact, a fire broke out on the aircraft. The co-pilot managed to bring the remaining operational parts of the plane to a halt, but the subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- The primary sequence of events was initiated by the left main gear striking a pothole during the landing roll.
- The loss of structural integrity in the landing gear led to engine-to-ground contact.
- Mechanical failure of the propeller assembly contributed to the fatal impact within the cockpit.