Occurrence
On 8 August 2022, at approximately 1308Z, a Beechcraft Baron 58, registration ZS-OAB, was landing on Runway 11 at Richmond Aerodrome (FARM) in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The flight was a three-leg business trip that had departed from Richmond earlier that morning, with stops at Delmas Aerodrome and Secunda Aerodrome. The pilot, who held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence with 4,425 total flying hours and 1,160.4 hours on type, was accompanied by two passengers. The approach and landing were conducted under visual meteorological conditions.
During the landing roll, the left wing dropped sharply, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The left propeller blades struck the ground, and the aircraft veered left off the runway, coming to rest in a ditch. The right main gear and nose gear also collapsed during the sequence. The pilot and passengers were not injured.
Post-Accident Inspection
Examination of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the underbelly, fuselage, propeller blades, and undercarriage. The push arms that extend the undercarriage were bent, preventing further extension without additional damage. The landing gear doors had detached. The investigation noted that the left-side landing gear extension was bent.
Findings
- The pilot possessed a valid Airline Transport Pilot Licence and a Class 1 medical certificate without restrictions.
- The aircraft's last 200-hour maintenance periodic inspection was performed on 10 May 2022, with 12 hours accumulated since then. All airworthiness directives and service bulletins had been complied with.
- The pilot chose not to execute a go-around after encountering animals on the runway, as she assessed sufficient runway length remained to stop safely.
- Previous maintenance in December 2019 involved removal of the left and right drag braces due to excessive play, and the nose landing gear trunnion was shimmed per manufacturer instructions.
- A defect sheet from March 2022 listed 11 items, none related to the landing gear.
Probable Cause
The probable cause was that the main landing gears were likely still in transit during touchdown and collapsed into their wheel wells upon contacting the ground, resulting in the aircraft veering off the runway.
Contributing Factors
A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to land deep due to animals on the runway, which may have distracted her attention.