What happened
On 31 March 2005, a Lance Air 4, registration ZS-TRV, was performing a private flight from Pietersburg Aerodrome to Entabeni, near the Vaalwater game reserve. While approaching the runway at Entabeni, the pilot observed that the runway surface was becoming increasingly rough. In an attempt to avoid the uneven terrain, the pilot steered toward the left side of the runway.
As the aircraft reached the 800-meter mark during the landing roll, the pilot drifted too far left. Because the engine cowl obstructed the pilot's forward view, a small depression in the grass remained undetected. The aircraft subsequently entered a six-inch-deep depression, causing the nosewheel to collapse and the propeller to strike the ground. The pilot escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The aircraft had undergone its last annual inspection on 26 November 2004, with only 9.4 flight hours accumulated since that certification. The inspection was performed by a properly licensed professional. Meteorological conditions at the time were favorable, with visibility rated as okay, a temperature of 25°C, and scattered cloud cover at 8000ft.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot allowing the aircraft to veer too far left of the runway centerline.
- The engine cowl significantly limited the pilot's visibility of the ground ahead during the landing roll.
- The aircraft struck a shallow depression in the grass that was obscured from the pilot's line of sight.
- The impact resulted in a bent nosewheel yoke and damage to the propeller.