What happened
On June 18, 2024, a private general aviation flight was conducting a transit from San Fernando Airport in Buenos Aires to General Acha, La Pampa. The flight itinerary included a scheduled stop at Santa Rosa Airport in the La Pampa province.
Upon touchdown on the runway at Santa Rosa, the aircraft's nose gear wheel became locked. This mechanical failure caused the aircraft to deviate from the runway centerline. The aircraft eventually came to a halt while remaining within the runway boundaries. There were no fatalities or serious injuries reported among the two occupants, though the aircraft sustained minor damage.
The investigation
The JST examined the circumstances surrounding the landing at Santa Rosa. The investigation focused on the mechanical behavior of the landing gear during the landing roll and the subsequent loss of directional control. The investigation established that the deviation from the runway axis was a direct result of the nose wheel's inability to rotate freely upon contact with the pavement.