Incident Overview
During the landing phase at St John's Airport, the aircraft experienced a critical structural failure involving the left main landing gear. The collapse of this assembly caused the airplane to settle onto its fuselage, resulting in significant structural damage that rendered the airframe beyond repair.
Occupant Safety
Despite the severity of the impact and the subsequent belly landing, all eight individuals on board managed to evacuate the aircraft safely. No injuries were reported among the occupants during the emergency exit procedures.
Technical Findings
The official investigation identified specific mechanical failures within the left gear assembly prior to touchdown. The damper lever jack, the main jack, and the lever stay link were found to have failed in overload. While these components were confirmed to have broken before landing, the underlying cause of this structural failure could not be determined by the investigators.