Occurrence
On 23 December 2022 at 0955Z, a pilot and passenger departed from El Mirador Airfield (FALQ) in KwaZulu-Natal Province aboard a Cessna 210M, registration ZS-KEC, for a private flight to Port Alfred Aerodrome (FAPA) in Eastern Cape Province. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) by day, in accordance with Part 91 of the South African Civil Aviation Regulations. The pilot reported that the flight was uneventful until landing. Upon touching down on the threshold of Runway 25 at FAPA, the aircraft veered right, causing the nose landing gear to collapse. The propeller blades struck the ground, and the right-wing tip also made contact. Post-accident inspection revealed damage to the nose wheel, engine cowling, propeller, and right-wing tip. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There were no injuries to the pilot, passenger, or persons on the ground.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft, a Cessna C210M (serial number 210-62590), had accumulated 6,031.8 total airframe hours. Its last annual inspection was on 1 December 2022 at 6,023.4 hours, with a Certificate of Release to Service valid until 30 November 2023 or 6,123.4 hours. The Certificate of Airworthiness was issued on 8 June 2022 and valid until 30 June 2023. The pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence (PPL) reissued on 18 November 2022, with a Class 2 medical certificate requiring corrective lenses. The pilot had 898.6 total flight hours, with 832.5 hours on type.
Findings
A NOTAM (C4086/22) was in effect from 8 December 2022 to 6 March 2023, indicating that Runway 25 at FAPA was displaced by approximately 350 metres due to maintenance, reducing the landing distance available to 708.7 metres. The pilot stated he was unaware of the NOTAM and that no markings were present on the threshold to indicate the displacement. However, investigation found that displaced threshold markings existed a few metres from where the aircraft landed. The pilot landed short of the actual runway threshold, resulting in the landing gear and propeller damage.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The probable cause, as determined by the investigation, was that the aircraft landed short of the displaced Runway 25, causing the nose gear to bend backwards and the propeller blades to strike the ground. A contributing factor was poor or no flight planning, which led to non-adherence to the published NOTAM at the destination aerodrome.