What happened
On 18 August 2011, a Cessna T210K, registration ZS-MVS, was performing a local training flight departing from Mafikeng Airport. During the approach for landing on Runway 04, the pilot deployed the landing gear but failed to verify that the gear was properly locked into position. Upon touchdown, both the left and right main landing gears collapsed. The aircraft veered toward the left side of the runway and skidded for approximately 50 meters before coming to a halt. The pilot, a commercial pilot with 600 total flying hours, sustained no injuries.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the landing. The investigation established that while the pilot had selected the landing gear to the down position, they did not confirm the green "down and locked" indication light. Following the incident, the aircraft was recovered by an approved maintenance organization. During the recovery process, technicians discovered that although the gear had been selected down, the down and locked indication was not active. Further testing revealed that when the gear was manually extended using the emergency hand lever, the green indication light functioned correctly, suggesting no mechanical failure was present in the system itself.
Findings
- The aircraft was airworthy and maintained according to regulations.
- Weather conditions were clear with good visibility and minimal wind, contributing nothing to the incident.
- The pilot failed to verify the landing gear status using the required checklist prior to landing.
- The main landing gear was not in the locked position at the time of touchdown.