What happened
On 7 December 2021, a Cessna T210M, registration ZS-LUB, was conducting a private flight from Mossel Bay to the Waterval Safari Airstrip in the Northern Cape. The flight was intended to include a refueling stop at Kimberly Aerodrome. While operating under visual flight rules, the pilot performed three passes over the destination airstrip to inspect the runway surface, as this was the pilot's first time landing at this location.
During the approach to Runway 2D, the pilot observed a pile of sand situated at the threshold of the runway. Despite the observation, the aircraft touched down on the soft sand. The impact with the uneven surface caused an immediate reduction in speed and a violent downward movement of the nose gear. This force caused the nose gear assembly to break away from the aircraft. The plane skidded roughly 25 metres before nosed over and came to rest upside down on the gravel surface. The accident resulted in one minor injury to a passenger and substantial damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances surrounding the landing at the private airstrip. The investigation established that the 1.2km gravel runway had undergone recent preparation work. This maintenance included the placement of a 50-metre heap of sand on the left side of the Runway 28 threshold. The pilot confirmed that there were no mechanical failures or adverse weather conditions contributing to the event.
Findings
- The aircraft made contact with the runway threshold before the main runway surface.
- The presence of unstable, soft sand at the threshold caused an abrupt deceleration.
- The sudden deceleration and physical jar to the airframe caused the nose gear to detach from the Cessna T210M.