Incident Details
Prior to departure, the pilot reported an unusual noise coming from the left main gear to ground mechanics. An inspection was conducted, but nothing abnormal was noted. Nevertheless, the pilot was instructed to fly directly to Mombasa for further control. After takeoff from runway 09, while climbing, air traffic control (ATC) contacted the pilot and reported that the left main gear had detached and fallen away. The pilot was cleared to return for an emergency landing and completed a belly landing a few minutes later. The aircraft came to rest on the runway and was damaged beyond repair. All four occupants escaped uninjured.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the left main gear had undergone a maintenance check on January 3, 1996, and no anomalies had been detected since. Nevertheless, the runway surface at Arusha Airport was in relatively poor condition, with the presence of several holes. As a result, it is likely that the landing gear suffered a severe impact during a previous landing.