What happened
On 9 July 2013, a Cessna 337, registration ZS-EEM, was involved in a landing gear incident at Mossel Bay Aerodrome. The aircraft had recently departed George Aerodrome following a mandatory periodic inspection. After landing at Mossel Bay to collect three skydivers, the pilot taxied to the hangar and boarded the passengers without shutting down the engines.
While the aircraft was backtracking on runway 09, the nose gear suddenly retracted. The pilot immediately shut down the engines and evacuated the aircraft along with the three passengers. The impact resulted in damage to the underbelly and the forward propeller, though no injuries were reported.
The investigation
An investigation into the incident examined the mechanical state of the aircraft and the actions of the crew. An aircraft maintenance engineer inspected the cockpit at the scene and confirmed that the landing gear lever was in the correct down-and-locked position. Furthermore, the pilot reported that no gear-up warning horn sounded prior to the collapse.
Subsequent technical inspections by an approved maintenance organization (AMO) could not identify any mechanical defects. The AMO performed approximately 30 successful retraction and extension cycles on the aircraft, all of which functioned normally. The investigation also ruled out engine failure as a contributing factor.
Findings
- The aircraft was airworthy and had recently passed a mandatory periodic inspection.
- The landing gear lever was found in the correct position at the time of the incident.
- The cause of the nose gear retraction remains undetermined.
- The aircraft's maintenance logbooks were not up to date.
- Weather conditions were clear and did not contribute to the event.