What happened
On August 18, 2013, a Hawker Beechcraft G58, registration PP-JLS, was performing a visual approach for landing on runway 18 at Leite Lopes Aer/SDRP in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. The aircraft was operating a private passenger flight from São Joaquim da Barra.
Upon final approach, the pilot confirmed the landing gear was extended, noting three green lights on the instrument panel. The aircraft touched down on its main gear at approximately 90 knots within the first third of the runway. Shortly after the main gear contact, the nose gear made contact with the ground, triggering intense vibrations. This vibration caused the nose gear to partially retract. Consequently, the propellers struck the runway surface, causing the engines to stop. The aircraft slid along the runway before coming to a halt. All five occupants—the pilot and four passengers—remained uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft and found that the nose tire was deflated. While the landing gear microswitches were functioning correctly, investigators identified damage to the nose gear retraction/extension guide rod. The damage was consistent with a force acting perpendicular to the rod's longitudinal axis, which is not its designed load direction. Additionally, the bolt and nut assembly used to secure the rod to the internal housing was missing; investigators believe the nut may have been expelled due to pressure, leaving a scratch on the housing.
The investigation traced the sequence of events back to the departure from São Joaquim da Barra. On the day of departure, the airfield had just been inaugurated, and numerous aircraft had been operating from grass areas near the runway. It was determined that propeller blast likely dispersed debris across the operating area. A sharp object caused a puncture in the nose tire during taxi or takeoff at the departure airfield. During the landing in Ribeirão Preto, the deflated tire caused the intense vibration that triggered the mechanical failure of the nose gear assembly.
Findings
- A puncture in the nose tire occurred due to foreign object debris (FOD) at the departure airfield.
- The deflated tire caused significant vibration upon touchdown, which led to the partial retraction of the nose gear.
- The nose gear assembly sustained structural damage to the guide rod and loss of the securing hardware due to the forces of the partial retraction.