What happened
On February 27, 2025, at 13:03 UTC, a Learjet 60, registration LV-FVZ, was conducting a non-scheduled air ambulance flight from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires to Río Gallegos International Airport. During the final approach to runway 25, the aircraft struck a bird (identified as a carancho) on the right main landing gear.
Following the impact, the crew successfully completed the landing without further incident. Once the aircraft reached the apron, the crew identified the strike and removed bird remains from the landing gear assembly. A visual inspection revealed that the only damage sustained was a broken landing gear light. Following the inspection, the crew proceeded with their scheduled flight operations.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted as a desk study. After the flight schedule was completed, a detailed inspection of the right main landing gear was performed at the Airservice Regional Aeronautical Repair Workshop. The investigation confirmed that the landing light (P/N Q4681) required replacement. No other discrepancies or structural damages were found during the technical evaluation.
Simultaneously, airport personnel from Aeropuertos Argentina conducted a sweep of runway 25/07 but did not locate any remaining biological debris on the pavement.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a bird strike involving a carancho during the approach phase.
- The impact resulted in minor damage, specifically the breakage of the right main landing gear light.
- The aircraft was returned to service after the replacement of the damaged component and a successful inspection.