What happened
On August 11, 2022, at 17:50 UTC, a Cessna 152, registration LV-OOJ, was conducting a flight training mission departing from the Coronel Olmedo aerodrome in Córdoba, Argentina. After approximately 90 minutes of flight under visual meteorological conditions, the aircraft attempted to land. Upon contact with the runway, the axle of the right main landing gear fractured, leading to a loss of directional control and resulting in minor damage to the aircraft's airframe.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by the JST focused on the technical and operational aspects of the landing gear failure. Investigators examined the fractured component and performed laboratory testing to determine the failure mechanism. The analysis also reviewed maintenance records, including a non-destructive inspection performed 37 days prior to the event, and evaluated the effectiveness of existing inspection protocols for the Cessna 1/2 series.
Findings
Technical analysis revealed that the failure was driven by corrosion acting as the primary initiator for a fatigue mechanism within the right main landing gear structure. While the fatigue progression was not highly advanced, the presence of corrosion near the fracture site was confirmed.
Investigators noted that the previous non-destructive inspection failed to identify these defects, potentially due to lighting conditions that prevented the detection of fatigue cracks developing on a plane normal to the outer tubular surface. Furthermore, the investigation highlighted that current Argentine regulations do not mandate non-destructive testing for this specific landing gear assembly, and the failure mode appears to be an intrinsic issue with the component, consistent with similar previous occurrences.
Safety action
The JST has issued a safety recommendation to the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) to evaluate the implementation of mandatory inspection methods. These methods should ensure a complete and detailed structural integrity assessment of the main landing gear tubular struts on Cessna 150 and 152 models.