What happened
On 4 July 2021, a Mooney M20, registration ZS-MVM, departed from Wonderboom Airport (FAWB) in Gauteng for a private flight to the Mountain View Game Ranch private airstrip in Limpopo. The aircraft was carrying two pilots and one passenger under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in favorable weather conditions. No flight plan had been filed for the trip.
Upon reaching the destination, the pilot performed a low-level flypast of the grass runway at 6100 feet AGL to inspect the field. During this inspection, the pilot noted powerlines crossing the end of Runway 10. The aircraft subsequently joined the landing circuit and configured for a final approach with full flaps. During the landing roll, the nose gear wheel encountered a sinkhole that was obscured by grass. The impact caused the nose landing gear to collapse, leading the propeller to strike the ground.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the SACAA AIID, established that the aircraft sustained minor damage, specifically to the propeller and the nose landing gear assembly. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries resulting from the event. The inquiry examined the sequence of the landing roll and the condition of the unpaved runway surface.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the nose gear assembly running over a sinkhole that was hidden from view by vegetation.
- The collapse of the nose gear strut directly resulted in the propeller striking the ground.
- The lack of visibility regarding the surface hazard was due to the sinkhole being concealed by grass.