Incident Overview
While approaching the seaplane base of Christiansted, the flight crew suspected technical problems with the undercarriage and decided to divert to Christiansted-Alexander Hamilton Airport. Upon touchdown, the left main gear collapsed, and the seaplane came to rest. Both pilots were uninjured, but the airplane sustained damage beyond repair.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation identified the probable cause as a failure of the left main gear upon landing due to the failure of the upper end hydraulic actuator. The following factors were reported:
- Landing gear failure
- Fatigue fracture
- Corrosion
- Improper maintenance of the aircraft on part of the maintenance personnel
- Precautionary landing on an airport following a suspected mechanical discrepancy
- Gear overdue 1,700 hours overhaul by 801 hours
Aircraft Damage
The seaplane was damaged beyond repair as a result of the landing gear collapse. No further details about the extent of damage were provided in the source.