Introduction
On 6 July 2019, a Piper PA-32R-300, registration LV-MCT, operated by a private owner as a general aviation entertainment flight, was involved in an accident at Aeródromo Isla Martín García, Buenos Aires. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. No injuries were reported among the pilot and two passengers.
Flight History
The flight departed from Aeropuerto Internacional San Fernando (San Fernando, Buenos Aires) with destination Aeródromo Isla Martín García. At 17:30 UTC, during landing on runway 35, the nose landing gear collapsed and the propeller struck the runway surface. The aircraft came to rest off the runway.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the cockpit showed the landing gear handle and indicators in the down-and-locked position, and the emergency release handle was not activated. A video recorded by a passenger captured a stall warning shortly before touchdown, followed by a gear-not-locked warning after touchdown.
Inspection of the nose landing gear lock assembly revealed that the clip assembly had lost material and the screw used was deformed. The screw and bearing (buje) installed were not the components specified in the aircraft maintenance manual. The outer diameter of the bearing was larger than specified, and the screw head caused the bearing to seat improperly on the clip assembly.
The pilot's flight log indicated discontinuous flying activity over the previous two months, with no record of recency training (readaptación) as required by regulations.
Analysis and Conclusions
During the landing, the aircraft touched down on the main gear, bounced, then made a three-point contact (main and nose gear simultaneously). This hard landing, combined with the non-standard lock components, caused the nose gear lock to disengage. The nose gear retracted, and the propeller struck the ground, abruptly stopping the engine.
The investigation concluded that the use of components not specified by the manufacturer, together with a hard landing, resulted in the failure of the nose gear lock assembly, deformation of the screw, and subsequent retraction of the nose gear.