What happened
On July 4, 2021, a Piper PA-A-38-112, registration LV-OMS, was conducting a local pleasure flight at Aeroclub Villa Mercedes, San Luis. After an initial period of flight, the pilot performed a landing and prepared for a second departure. During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported hearing an unusual noise and detecting a smell of hydraulic fluid, which led to the suspicion of a nose gear strut failure. For safety, the pilot elected to return to the airfield to land.
During the subsequent landing, the pilot attempted to maintain a nose-high attitude to mitigate potential gear issues. However, as the nose wheel made contact with the runway, the aircraft experienced a loss of directional control. The aircraft veered off the left side of runway 19, resulting in a runway excursion. The momentum caused the aircraft to rotate around its longitudinal axis, eventually coming to rest in an inverted position. Both the pilot and the passenger were able to exit the aircraft without injuries, though the aircraft sustained significant damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the runway conditions and the aircraft's mechanical state. Investigators noted that the aircraft's path traveled 110 meters from the initial runway markings to its final position. The terrain on the left side of the runway was found to be soft, as the area had recently been leveled with a tractor and plow to eliminate rodent burrows.
Mechanical examination revealed fractures in the nose gear strut cylinder and deformations in the engine mount structure where the nose gear attaches. While the pilot reported a noise and a hydraulic odor during takeoff, investigators could not definitively identify the source of the noise or determine if a hydraulic leak from the strut contributed to the loss of steering during the landing roll.
Findings
- The investigation could not establish a definitive cause for the initial noise heard during takeoff or the specific cause of the loss of directional control during the landing phase.
- The soft soil on the runway margin, resulting from recent plowing, acted as a contributing factor that led to the aircraft's rollover and inverted position.
Safety action
Following the identification of the plowed area as a potential hazard, the aerodrome manager reported that the ground had been compacted to mitigate the risk for future operations.