Landing Gear Collapse at St John's Airport

No fatalities • Saint John's, Canada • Landing (descent or approach)

A heavy aircraft experienced a structural failure of its left main landing gear during landing, resulting in the aircraft resting on its belly.

What happened

During the landing phase at St John's Airport, an aircraft suffered a significant mechanical failure. As the plane touched down, the left main gear assembly underwent a structural collapse. This failure caused the aircraft to lose support on one side, forcing it to come to rest on its belly.

Despite the severity of the impact and the resulting damage to the airframe, all eight occupants—including the crew—were able to evacuate the wreckage without injury. The aircraft sustained extensive damage and was declared a total loss.

Findings

Investigations into the incident identified specific component failures within the landing gear assembly. The following elements were found to have failed under overload conditions:

  • The damper lever jack
  • The main jack
  • The lever stay link of the left gear assembly

These components failed prior to the aircraft coming to a complete stop on the runway. While the failure occurred due to an overload, the specific origin of the stress or the reason for the component's inability to withstand the load could not be determined.

Related events

Same operator

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1984-05-28 Saunders ST-27 accident near Saint John's, Canada?

A heavy aircraft experienced a structural failure of its left main landing gear during landing, resulting in the aircraft resting on its belly.

Were there any fatalities in the 1984-05-28 Saunders ST-27 accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1984-05-28 involved a Saunders ST-27, registration C-FCNT, operated by Labrador Airways, at Saint John's, Canada.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The damper lever jack, the main jack, and the lever stay link of the left gear assembly had failed in overload prior to landing. The cause of the failure could not be determined.

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