What happened
On August 13, 2025, a Piper PA3．4-200, registration LV-LCX, was involved in an accident at the Berazategui/Alas Argentinas Aerodrome in the province of Buenos Aires. The aircraft had departed from Sauce Viejo Airport approximately two hours earlier for a general aviation flight under visual meteorological conditions.
After successfully landing at Berazategui, the aircraft was taxiing along the runway toward the apron when the nose landing gear unexpectedly retracted. This sudden movement caused the nose of the aircraft to strike the ground, leading to damage to the nose gear doors and the aircraft's nose section. The impact also caused the propellers to strike the terrain, resulting in the abrupt stoppage of both engines. There were no injuries reported among the occupants.
The investigation
The Argentine Transportation Safety Board (JST) has initiated an investigation into the mechanical failure. Investigators are currently focusing on the aircraft's landing gear systems, specifically examining the components related to the nose gear strut and axle. To determine the exact cause of the unintended retraction, laboratory analysis of the nose gear retraction and locking system components is underway.