Incident Overview
On 31 October 2002 at 1015Z, a Cessna 182H with registration ZS-DZK was involved in an incident during taxiing at the marked runway on a golf course at Ususto Plantation. The aircraft was operating a commercial flight. There was one person on board, the pilot, who sustained no injuries.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft landed on the marked runway. During taxiing, the nose undercarriage entered a hole that was not visible. As a result, the propeller struck the ground. The impact caused damage to the propeller, fire wall, and center console. The pilot was not injured.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the incident, weather was fine with a 0-5 knot easterly wind and a cloud base of 1000 feet.
Aircraft Damage and Subsequent Actions
The propeller, fire wall, and center console were damaged. A Special Flight Permit was later issued to fly the aircraft to an Approved Maintenance Organization at Wonderboom for a shock-load inspection on the engine and repairs to the airframe. The aircraft was maintained as prescribed; the next MPI was due on 19 October 2003 or at 5394 hours. The aircraft had operated 5 hours since the last MPI.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the incident was that during taxiing, the nose undercarriage entered a hole in the runway, resulting in the propeller striking the ground and damaging the propeller and nose section.