Preliminary Report: Piper PA-34-200 Accident at Berazategui Aerodrome (LV-LCX)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On August 13, 2025, at 23:22 UTC, a Piper PA-34-200 with registration LV-LCX was involved in an accident at Aeródromo Berazategui Alas Argentinas in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina. The aircraft, manufactured in 1973 with serial number 34-7250325, was operating under a private, non-commercial general aviation flight. The incident was classified as a system or component failure or malfunction, specifically involving the non-powerplant systems. ## Flight Sequence and Damage The aircraft departed from the Santa Fe/Sauce Viejo airport (SAAV) at 21:20 UTC, completing a two-hour flight in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). Following landing at the destination aerodrome, the nose landing gear unexpectedly retracted while the aircraft was preparing to taxi from the runway to the apron. This event resulted in the propellers contacting the ground, leading to a sudden stop of both engines. The investigation noted minor damage to the propellers, the nose gear doors, and the nose section of the aircraft. ## Personnel and Operational Context The aircraft was operated by a 36-year-old male pilot-in-command who held the required ratings. The pilot had a total of 1,069.4 hours of general flight experience and 9.2 hours on the specific aircraft type. At the time of the incident, the pilot had logged 4 hours in the preceding 24 hours. All four occupants on board survived the event, with no injuries reported. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was not activated, and the occupants were located by sighting. ## Investigation Status The Argentine Transport Safety Board (Junta de Seguridad en el Transporte, JST) is conducting the investigation using a systemic model. Preliminary findings indicate that the components of the nose gear retraction and locking system are currently undergoing laboratory analysis to determine the specific cause of the malfunction.