What happened
On May 5, 2017, at approximately 14:55 local time, a 131-E Serie 2000 (Jungmann), registered as HB-UVM, was involved in a landing gear incident at Lommis Airfield (LSZT). The aircraft was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) for private purposes. The pilot had completed three circuit landings, all of which were described as normal and without the use of braking.
Following the third landing, as the aircraft was taxiing toward the exit of the runway at an estimated speed of 20 km/h, the right landing gear leg collapsed. This failure caused the aircraft to veer to the right before coming to a complete stop. There were no injuries to the pilot or any third parties, though the aircraft sustained light damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the structural integrity of the landing gear assembly. The maintenance facility responsible for the aircraft's major overhaul in 2002, which included the installation of the original landing gear, provided technical details regarding the failure. The investigation focused on the junction between the strut and the right landing gear leg.
Findings
Technical analysis revealed that the failure originated at a component known as a cuff, which is a thin sheet metal piece (0.8 mm thick) autogen-welded to the outer tube. The investigation established that this cuff suffered two distinct cracks that likely developed over an extended period. The maintenance specialist noted that such a failure at this specific junction is considered an isolated incident.