What happened
On 3 December 2021, a Piper PA-34-200T aircraft, registration ZS-MHG, was conducting a Part 141 training flight at Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB). The flight, which included a flight instructor and two student pilots, was intended to evaluate multi-engine skills. The aircraft departed from Wonderboom under visual meteorological conditions with the intention to return to the same airfield.
During the landing on Runway 11, the crew reported a stable approach with all landing gear indicators showing green. However, approximately 50 metres after touchdown, the nose section of the aircraft began to drop. This caused the propeller blades to strike the runway surface, and the aircraft subsequently skidded on its nose cone. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the nose cone and propeller tips, there were no injuries to the three occupants.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft's hydraulic landing gear system by a maintenance engineer revealed that the bottom rod end of the nose landing gear actuator had fractured just above the lock nut and jam nut. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's maintenance records were up to date, and the mandatory periodic inspections, including those outlined in Service Bulletin No. 1123C, had been performed. The aircraft had undergone a 100-hour service recently, and the failure occurred only 10 flight hours after that inspection.
Findings
- The nose landing gear actuator's bottom rod end failed during the landing roll.
- The failure was likely caused by fatigue resulting from the forces of repeated gear retraction and extension over the aircraft's operational life.
- All required maintenance and periodic inspections had been carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements and the aircraft's maintenance program.