What happened
On January 19, a Cessna 185F, registration SU-BBF, was performing a touch-and-go maneuver at an aerodrome. During the sequence, after completing a touchdown, the pilot proceeded to vacate the runway and began a backtrack along runway 01.
At the time of the occurrence, surface winds were reported from 250 degrees at 13 knots, with gusts ranging between 10 and 15 knots, creating a crosswind component. While backtracking, the aircraft experienced a failure involving the landing gear. The impact resulted in dents to the inboard wing root and damage to the landing gear assembly. There were no injuries reported during the event.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the landing gear components and the environmental conditions during the backtrack. Investigators examined the landing gear shock strut and the brake master cylinder, noting that the brake units had experienced overheating.
Technical analysis was performed on the inboard landing gear support bracket using a stereoscope. The examination revealed evidence of shear fracture and bending stresses. Specifically, the investigation identified shear forces acting from the inside toward the outside of the component.