What happened
On August 20, 2002, at approximately 08:30 local time, a Piper PA-36-375 (registration EC-EYO) was performing aerial application services at the Pista de las Brujas, located in the municipality of Puebla del Río, Seville. The aircraft was taxiing from the loading area toward the runway.
During a left-hand turn, the right main landing gear strut entered a hole in the taxiway surface. This impact caused the right main gear to break at the point where it connects to the fuselage. Following the structural failure, the aircraft tilted onto its right wing, causing the propeller to strike the ground.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the landing gear and the condition of the taxiway. Physical examination of the broken landing gear component was conducted to determine if material fatigue played a role in the failure. Additionally, the damage to the aircraft, including the propeller, right wing, right flap, right boom, and landing gear components, was assessed.
Findings
- The investigation found no evidence of material fatigue in the broken landing gear component.
- The primary cause of the structural failure was the impact load generated when the gear entered the hole in the pavement.
- This impact created a bending moment at the fuselage attachment point, which led to the fracture of the gear strut.
- The pilot sustained no injuries during the incident.