What happened
On July 5, 2022, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration LV-JHQ, departed from Batán Aerodrome in the Buenos Aires province for a general aviation flight. During the landing gear retraction phase following takeoff, the pilot noticed a cockpit indication showing that the nose wheel had failed to lock into position. Despite multiple attempts to cycle the gear, the pilot was unable to secure the nose gear and decided to return to the departure airfield.
Upon returning to the aerodrome approximately 15 minutes later, the aircraft landed on runway 04. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed upon contact with the ground. The aircraft's nose dragged along the runway for approximately 100 meters before coming to a stop on the left edge of the runway. The impact resulted in significant damage to the airframe, engines, and propellers. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical condition of the nose gear assembly and the aircraft's maintenance history. Physical inspections of the nose gear revealed a deformed steering stop, a bent bolt, and a spherical bushing that had moved out of its guide. The investigation also included functional tests conducted at San Fernando Airport in coordination with a repair workshop.
Testing revealed that when the nose gear was operated within its permitted steering limits, the bushing remained within the guide. However, if the steering limit was exceeded, the bushing would strike the end of the guide, causing it to dislodge. The investigation determined that the damage to the steering stop was not caused by the accident itself, as evidenced by the presence of rust, sediment, and accumulated dirt on the deformed component, suggesting the damage had been present for some time.
Findings
- The nose gear assembly had been damaged during ground maneuvers, likely due to exceeding the maximum steering limits during aircraft movement in the hangar.
- The mechanical failure of the nose gear was caused by pre-existing damage to the steering stop and guide, which occurred prior to the accident.
- The aircraft was maintained according to the manufacturer's plan, but the specific damage to the nose gear components was not identified during previous inspections.
- The pilot lacked documented evidence of the required complex aircraft transition training as mandated by Argentine civil aviation regulations.