Incident
Shortly after departing from Málaga Airport on a cargo flight, the crew encountered technical problems. They were cleared to return to the airport and executed a safe landing. During the final approach, air traffic control informed the pilot that the left main landing gear was not extended.
Landing
Upon touchdown, the aircraft veered to the left and came to a stop in a grassy area adjacent to the runway. All seven crew members on board were uninjured.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage beyond economical repair as a result of the landing gear failure and subsequent veer-off.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the hydraulics failure was caused by an attachment securing the recovery spring cable to the lower end of the leg broke during retraction of the gear. The loose spring was caught between the hydraulic cylinder and other linkages, and the piston was pushed to one side of the cylinder, causing an escape of hydraulic fluid.