What happened
On July 28, 2023, at 11:57 UTC, a Piper PA-42-1000, registration YV1699, operated by AEROMAN TRANSPORTE, C.A., was on final approach to Maiquetía International Airport (SVMI) from Barcelona (SVBC). The aircraft was carrying five occupants, including the pilot and four passengers.
During the approach, the pilot deployed the landing gear but received an indication of two green lights and one red light, suggesting the nose gear was not secured. Following the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) emergency extension procedures, the pilot was unable to resolve the indication. The pilot subsequently decided to return to the operator's base in Barcelona. Upon arrival at SVBC, the pilot requested a low pass over the runway so that Air Traffic Control could visually verify the gear status; the controller confirmed the nose gear remained retracted.
During the subsequent landing attempt, the pilot shut down the engines as a precaution. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the nose section, pitot tubes, and propeller blades due to the impact. All occupants were unharmed.
The investigation
The investigation involved examining the aircraft's hydraulic system and performing non-destructive testing (NDT). Investigators conducted a hydraulic system test following the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) and identified a leak in the left main landing gear actuator. Using fluorescent liquid penetrant inspection, investigators detected a 130-millimeter longitudinal discontinuity adjacent to a weld in the metallic section of the left main gear actuator.
Findings
- The primary cause of the landing gear indication failure was a longitudinal crack found in the left main landing gear actuator.
- A leak was present in the left main landing gear actuator during hydraulic system testing.
- The emergency extension procedure had been activated, resulting in the depletion of the CO2 canisters used for the gear extension system.