What happened
On the afternoon of 28 April 2022, a Giles G-202 aircraft, registration N-818WT, departed Kitty Hawk Aerodrome (FAKT) in Gauteng for a period of aerobatic training. The flight, which was conducted under visual meteorological conditions, involved the pilot flying several maneuvers in an aerobatic box west of Runway 01. After approximately 35 minutes of flight, the pilot returned to the airfield to land on Runway 01.
As the aircraft decelerated to approximately 35 knots during the landing roll, the main landing gear suddenly collapsed. This caused the aircraft to skid for roughly 82 meters along the runway surface. During the slide, the propeller blades struck the runway 15 times before the aircraft came to a complete stop. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, both occupants escaped without injury.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the aircraft's structural integrity and maintenance history. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was operating well within its maximum takeoff weight and that the engine, flight controls, and airframe were otherwise functional. The aircraft was an experimental amateur-built model maintained under FAA authority.
Physical inspection of the landing gear assembly revealed that the aluminum angle plates, which secure the gear to the under-fuselage, had separated. Investigators found that the threads on the protruding bolts had been stripped, and one of the securing nuts was discovered on the runway surface. The investigation also noted that the aircraft had been involved in a previous accident at Brakpan Aerodrome in August 2020, which involved a hard landing and a subsequent landing gear collapse.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the separation of the nuts and bolts that secure the landing gear saddle brackets to the fuselage.
- The failure of these fasteners was likely initiated by the effects of previous hard landings.
- The aircraft was operating within all weight and balance limitations.
- No mechanical failures were found in the engine, propeller, or flight control systems.