What happened
On the afternoon of 7 April 2023, a TL-2000 Sting (registration ZU-DPK) was conducting a private flight at Potchefstroom Aerodrome in the North West province. The pilot, operating under Part 94 regulations, had taken off from Runway 03 with the intention of performing a series of touch-and-go landings. The weather conditions were clear, with excellent visibility and light winds.
Upon completing a circuit and touching down on Runway 03, the aircraft experienced a sudden mechanical failure. The nose gear strut bent toward the right and subsequently snapped. This failure caused the aircraft to lose directional control, veering toward the left side of the runway. As the aircraft slid, the engine cowling made contact with the ground, and the propeller blades struck the surface before the aircraft finally came to a halt on the adjacent grass area. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft unassisted and was not injured.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the physical wreckage. The aircraft had undergone its last annual inspection approximately five hours prior to the accident, and all maintenance documentation was found to be in order. Metallurgical analysis of the broken nose gear strut revealed no evidence of fatigue or inherent manufacturing defects. The investigation focused on the mechanics of the landing and the alignment of the landing gear at the moment of impact.
Findings
- The pilot landed the aircraft with the nose wheel misaligned with the direction of travel.
- This misalignment created an overload condition that caused the nose gear strut to bend and eventually break.
- The failure of the nose gear led to a loss of directional control and the subsequent runway excursion.