What happened
On 23 October 2021, a solo private flight departing from Rand Aerodrome (FAGM) ended in an accident at Tedderfield Aerodrome (FATA). The aircraft, a Cessna T210L with registration ZS-AVB, was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) for a private mission. While the transit between the two Gauteng airfields was initially uneventful, the approach to Tedderfield was interrupted by a critical oversight. As the aircraft descended, the pilot realized the landing gear had not been deployed. Although the landing gear horn alerted the pilot approximately 10 feet above the ground, the low altitude left no opportunity for a go-around. Consequently, the pilot elected to land the aircraft on its belly.
The impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft's propeller blade tips and the underbelly section. The pilot, a 70-year-old male, escaped the incident without any injuries.
The investigation
The investigation into the occurrence focused on the sequence of events leading to the gear-up landing and the operational state of the aircraft. Records indicated that the aircraft had undergone a mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) in August 2021, with only 4 Hobbs hours flown since that service. There were no pre-existing defects reported for ZS-AVB, and all structural damage was directly attributed to the landing. The investigation reviewed the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) for the Cessna T210L, which explicitly requires the pilot to extend and verify the landing gear as part of the pre-landing checklist.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the pilot failed to lower the landing gear prior to touchdown.
- A contributing factor was the failure to follow the established pre-landing checklist as outlined in the aircraft's operating manual.
- The low altitude at which the gear error was discovered prevented a safe aborted landing attempt.