What happened
On October 31, 2002, a Cessna 182H, registered as ZS-DZK, was involved in a ground incident at the Ususto Plantation golf course in Swaziland. The aircraft, which was operating on a private flight from Warburton Aerodrome, had successfully landed on a marked runway at the golf course. While the pilot was taxiing the aircraft, the nose undercarriage struck a hole in the runway surface that was not visible to the crew. The impact caused the propeller to strike the ground, resulting in damage to the propeller, the firewall, and the center console.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the conditions at the landing site. The aircraft was found to have been maintained according to prescribed intervals, with only five hours flown since its last maintenance inspection. Meteorological conditions at the time of the incident were reported as fine, with an easterly wind of 0-5 knots and a cloud base of 1000ft. Following the incident, the South African Civil Aviation Authority issued a Special Flight Permit to allow the aircraft to be flown to an Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) in Wonderboom for a necessary shock-load engine inspection and airframe repairs.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the nose undercarriage entering an unseen hole in the runway surface during taxiing.
- The impact of the undercarriage into the depression led directly to the propeller making contact with the ground.
- There were no injuries to the pilot, and no fatalities occurred.