What happened
On 20 December 2005, a Piper PA38-112, registration ZS-KHV, was conducting flight training maneuvers at Port Elizabeth International Airport. The flight, consisting of an instructor and a student, was performing circuit-and-landing exercises. During the third touch-and-go attempt, the aircraft's right-hand main landing gear failed upon touchdown.
In an effort to prevent a propeller strike, the instructor attempted to keep the right wing elevated while simultaneously shutting down the engine. Despite these efforts, the aircraft veered off the right side of runway 26 and came to a stop on the grass. There were no injuries to the occupants, though the aircraft sustained minor damage to the right-hand a<a href="#">ileron</a> and the landing gear assembly.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear assembly. Records indicated that the aircraft had undergone a mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) on 15 December 2005, with only 15.8 flight hours accumulated since that certification. At the time of the incident, the airframe had a total of 7,817.0 hours.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure of the upper attachment bolt of the leaf spring type landing gear.
- The aircraft was operating under a valid Air Operators Certificate.
- Weather conditions at the time of the occurrence were clear with a surface wind of 240 degrees at 15 knots.