What happened
On 20 February 2011, a Tecnam P9/2-S Echo, registration ZU-DHF, was conducting a familiarization training flight near Kitty Hawk Estate Airfield. The crew, consisting of an instructor and a trainee pilot, was performing touch-and-go landing exercises on Runway 19.
During the sequence of landings, the trainee pilot experienced a firm touchdown on the first attempt due to an abrupt throttle closure. While subsequent landings were initially smooth, a vibration began to develop following the second landing. During the fifth landing attempt, a significant vibration and wobble occurred during the landing roll. The aircraft began to veer toward the left, and the crew attempted to correct the deviation with rudder and control inputs. As the aircraft approached a taxiway, the left main landing gear failed, causing the left wingtip to contact the ground. The aircraft sustained major damage to the fuselage, nose gear, and left main gear, though both occupants escaped without injury.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and the components of the landing gear assembly. The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the gear leg and the specific hardware used to secure it to the airframe.
Investigators located the debris from the failed components on the runway, approximately 200 meters from the threshold. A metallurgical specialist performed a visual inspection of the broken bolts and determined that the hardware had failed due to being overstressed during operation. The investigation also noted that the bolts in question were considered "on condition" items, meaning they were subject to visual inspection rather than a fixed replacement schedule, and the specific bolts used were not supplied directly by the manufacturer but were of a recommended equivalent type.