What happened
On 19 June 2002, a PIPER PA-31-350, registered as ZS-MHE, was performing a domestic charter flight departing from Johannesburg International Airport. The flight was scheduled to proceed to a game farm located approximately 10 nautical miles south of Hoedspruit. During the takeoff roll, specifically while the aircraft was in the rotation phase from Runway 21, the left-hand elevator trim cable failed. In response to the mechanical failure, the pilot immediately closed the throttles and successfully executed a landing back on the departure runway. There were no injuries and no fatalities among the four people on board.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the maintenance history and the physical condition of the aircraft components. The Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) confirmed that the trim cable had been inspected during the most recent Maintenance Program Inspection (MPI), which had revealed no broken strands. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had flown only 33 hours since that last inspection, and the next MPI was not due until May 2003 or upon reaching 14,909 flying hours. Investigators were unable to determine if any individual strands had been compromised prior to the total failure. As a preventative measure, both the left and right-hand trim cables were replaced.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the mechanical failure of the left-hand elevator trim cable during the rotation phase of takeoff.
- The aircraft was being operated under a valid Class II and III Operators Licence.
- Meteorological conditions at the time of the event were favorable, characterized by fine weather and a light southwesterly wind.