History of Flight
On Wednesday afternoon, 2 June 2021, an instructor and a student pilot aboard a Tecnam P92 Echo, registration ZU-BJY, departed from Runway 17 at Grand Central Airport (FAGC) in Gauteng Province for a circuit-and-landing training flight under Part 141 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) by day in clear weather conditions.
Approximately 72 minutes into the flight, during the sixth circuit, the aircraft touched down on the runway. Shortly after touchdown, the aircraft began to veer to the left. The instructor took over control from the student pilot and applied right rudder, but the aircraft continued veering left. The instructor then switched off the master switch and allowed the aircraft to exit the runway, coming to a stop on the grass to the left of Runway 17. After exiting, the instructor and student observed that the aircraft was leaning left and the left main landing gear was loose, with two attachment bolts missing.
Fire and rescue services personnel conducted a runway inspection but did not recover the missing bolts.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left landing gear. Both occupants reported no injuries.
Aircraft and Personnel Information
The aircraft, a Tecnam P92 Echo (serial number 248, manufactured in 2019), had a total airframe time of 1940.9 hours at the time of the accident. The last annual inspection was on 12 February 2021 at 1888.1 hours. The instructor held a Commercial Pilot Licence with 252.2 total flying hours, including 17.1 hours on type. The student pilot held a Student Pilot Licence with 17.6 total flying hours, including 14.2 hours on type.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident examination revealed that the two main left landing gear attachment bolts and nuts had failed. The investigation determined the failure was most likely caused by a lack of proper inspection as required by the aircraft maintenance manual (AMM). The manufacturer required only a visual check of the attachment bolts and nuts instead of a non-destructive test (NDT).