What happened
On June 30, 2012, a Cessna 310B, registration PT-BET, departed from Maricá Aerodrome (SDMC) in Rio de Janeiro for a local flight experience. The crew, consisting of a pilot and a mechanic, had been flying for approximately one hour when they prepared to return for landing. Upon extending the landing gear, the pilot noted that the main gear-down indicators failed to show that the gear was locked.
Despite activating the emergency extension system, the landing gear indicators remained unconfirmed. To assess the situation, the pilot performed a low pass over the centerline of runway 08, requesting a stationary aircraft at the holding point to visually inspect the gear. Although the observer reported the gear was in the down position, uncertainty regarding whether the gear was actually locked persisted.
The pilot proceeded with the landing. Upon touchdown, the aircraft began to tilt and veer toward the left side of the runway. In an effort to mitigate damage, the pilot simultaneously shut down the left engine. The aircraft exited the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the propeller tips, landing gear doors, the nose gear drag link, and the wingtip tanks.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear components. Investigators examined the drag link of the nose gear, which had suffered a fracture. Laboratory analysis of the fractured component revealed no evidence of pre-existing cracks or corrosion. Instead, the findings indicated that the component failed due to an overload applied to the material.
Regarding maintenance records, the aircraft had undergone an annual inspection in April 2012. However, investigators noted that the aircraft's logbooks were not up to date, and previous records were unavailable for review. The aircraft had flown only five hours between April 2011 and July 2012.