What happened
On April 17, 2001, a PA34-200T, registered as ZS-MVE, completed a routine landing on a grass and sandy runway at Hazyview. Following the landing, the pilot began back-tracking the aircraft toward the apron. During this taxiing phase, the aircraft encountered a depression in the terrain. In an attempt to maintain momentum and climb the upward slope toward the apron, the pilot increased engine power. As the aircraft moved forward, the main landing gear rolled over a step that had been hidden by mowed grass, situated between the runway and the apron. The passenger on board reported feeling a distinct bump at the rear of the aircraft at the moment the gear crossed the obstacle.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the aircraft following the taxiing incident. Although the pilot had performed a pre-flight inspection prior to the flight and found no visible defects in the undercarriage, subsequent inspections revealed significant issues. Several days after the event, the Chief Pilot of MCC Aviation identified damage to the aircraft's tail skid and rear bulkhead.
Notably, the pilot reported that during the initial pre-flight inspection at Lanseria, the mooring hook located at the base of the tail section was already bent. Despite the impact felt during the taxi at Hazyview, the pilot was initially unaware that the tail skid had actually made contact with the ground. The aircraft had successfully returned to Lanseria without further incident prior to the damage being discovered.