The Flight
An aircraft departed Miami International Airport (KMIA) on a non-regular cargo transport flight destined for Viracopos Airport (SBKP). On board were two pilots and a mechanic. The flight proceeded without incident until the approach to SBKP.
Landing Mishap
The crew conducted an IFR ILS Z approach for runway 15. Weather conditions were visual meteorological conditions (VMC), with wind from 140° at 19 knots. Upon receiving landing clearance, the wind was reported at 20 knots, gusting to 29 knots. The copilot served as pilot flying (PF) and the captain as pilot monitoring (PM). After the flare, the aircraft touched down, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded approximately 800 meters before stopping, remaining within the runway limits. The left main gear assembly, left wing, and left engine sustained substantial damage. All three crew members were uninjured.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the landing gear failed due to overload in the cylinder structure. The fracture originated in the rear section of the cylinder at a connection hole that acted as a tension concentration point, then propagated to the front, breaking the cylinder into two parts. Metallurgical analysis at Boeing Long Beach MP&P Laboratories identified characteristics similar to a pre-crack point at one origin of failure, likely from a previous overload. Following a prior incident in 2009 (a hard landing in Montevideo), the right main gear was replaced by VARIG Engineering & Maintenance (VEM), but the organization responsible for damage research, service specification, and airworthiness restoration was not identified. The pre-crack traces from the earlier overload may not have been detected during subsequent inspections and repairs, potentially creating a stress concentration.