Incident Overview
On 19 April 2005 at 1415Z, a Mooney M20F aircraft registered as ZS-EUB was involved in an incident at Runway 33 of Jakkalsdans Private Aerodrome (S26°08 30’ E 25°25 00’). The flight was a private operation with one person on board. The pilot reported no injuries, and the aircraft sustained minor damage.
Sequence of Events
The pilot stated that after a flight from Klerksdorp Aerodrome to a private aerodrome at Jakkalsdans, located 26 nautical miles from Mafikeng International Aerodrome, he inspected the grass runway prior to landing. Following a normal landing, the pilot intended to turn around and taxi back (backtrack) on the runway. During the turn through 160°, the nose landing gear wheel entered a shallow mole hole which the pilot failed to notice, resulting in the propeller striking the ground. The pilot immediately switched off the engine and observed that one of the propeller blades was slightly bent.
Aircraft and Damage Information
The aircraft, a Mooney M20F (ZS-EUB), sustained minor damage to one propeller blade. The pilot was uninjured. The weather at the time included wind from the northwest at 10-15 knots, visibility exceeding 10 kilometers, and a surface temperature of 24°C. The last mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) was certified on 11 February 2005 at 3075 airframe hours. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had accumulated an additional 36 airframe hours since the last MPI.
Probable Cause
The aircraft’s nose wheel entered a shallow mole hole which resulted in the propeller to strike the ground.