What happened
On April 16, 2026, a Cessna 172-P registered as LV-COK departed from the Brigadier Mayor César Raúl Ojeda Airport in San Luis, Argentina. The aircraft was conducting a local training flight under visual meteorological conditions. During the landing phase, the pilot identified a puncture in the left main gear tire. No emergency was declared; instead, the crew notified air traffic control of the situation. To clear the runway for other operations, the occupants evacuated the aircraft. Subsequently, the provincial government's aeronautical workshop repaired the tire, and the aircraft was returned to service.
The investigation
The Junta de Seguridad en el Transporte (JST) conducted a desk investigation into this incident. The review focused on the operational details of the flight, which lasted approximately one hour and involved a private pilot acting as the pilot-in-command. The investigation confirmed that the event was classified as a system or component failure involving non-powerplant equipment. Records indicated that the aircraft sustained no structural damage beyond the tire issue, and there were no injuries to personnel on board.
Findings
The primary factor identified in this incident was a puncture of the left main landing gear tire during the landing phase. The investigation established that the failure did not compromise the airframe's integrity or result in any harm to the occupants. The operational context involved non-commercial flight training, and the response by the crew was consistent with standard procedures for non-emergency ground incidents.