What happened
On May 5, 2021, a Tecnam P2006T, registration LV-GUY, was involved in a ground incident at the Zárate Aerodrome in Buenos Aires. The aircraft, which was performing a general aviation training flight from Islas Malvinas, had recently completed its landing phase. While taxiing toward the apron, the aircraft's nose wheel encountered a pothole on the taxiway surface. The impact caused a component to break, which subsequently led to the collapse of the nose landing gear.
There were two occupants on board the aircraft during the incident, both of whom sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The Argentine Transportation Safety Board (JST) conducted a technical investigation into the circumstances surrounding the gear failure. Investigators examined the aircraft's condition following the event and analyzed the surface conditions of the aerodrome. The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear assembly and the impact of the runway/taxiway infrastructure on the aircraft's structural integrity.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the nose wheel striking a pothole during the taxi phase.
- The impact of the pothole resulted in the breakage of a specific component within the nose gear assembly.
- The structural failure of this component led directly to the collapse of the nose landing gear.