Accident Overview
On 4 July 2021, at approximately 0800Z, a Mooney M20M aircraft, registration ZS-MVM, departed Wonderboom Airport (FAWB) on a private flight to Mountain View Game Ranch private airstrip in Limpopo Province. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) by day, with no flight plan filed. Good weather conditions prevailed. The aircraft carried two pilots and one passenger, the latter seated in the rear.
Flight and Approach
The aircraft took off from Runway 29 and climbed to 7500 feet above ground level (AGL). The pilot flying (PF) reported that the entire flight segment to the destination was uneventful. During the approach, the pilot descended to 6100 feet AGL and conducted a flyover of the grass runway for visual inspection, as per unmanned aerodrome joining procedure. The PF noted powerlines at the end of Runway 10 during the flypast. He then joined the circuit pattern and applied full flaps on final approach for Runway 10.
Accident Sequence
During the landing roll, the nose gear wheel ran over a sinkhole that was concealed by grass. The nose gear subsequently collapsed, and the propeller struck the ground. Damage to the aircraft was limited to the nose landing gear and propeller blades. No injuries were reported among the occupants.
Probable Cause
The aircraft’s nose gear assembly ran over a sinkhole concealed by grass during the landing roll, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear strut, causing damage to the propeller blades.
Safety Message
Pilots are encouraged to always conduct a thorough flight planning and enquire about the condition of the destination airport or airfield so as to be aware or take necessary precautions.