What happened
On the morning of 28 May 2023, a Dyn’Aéro MCR4S aircraft, registration ZU-IMB, was performing a private flight from Petit Airfield (FARA) to Tranquillity Spa Lodge in Gauteng Province. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions.
After successfully landing on the grass runway at Tranquillity Spa Lodge, the aircraft was taxiing when the nose wheel strut suddenly separated from the nose gear fork. This structural failure caused the propeller tips to strike the ground, leaving the aircraft resting in a tail-high position. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, the pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the conditions at the time of the accident. Records indicated that the aircraft had undergone an annual inspection approximately 11.7 hours prior to the flight.
Investigators reviewed the airframe logbooks and found no evidence that the operator had complied with Service Bulletin No.BS 05 J 0027. This specific bulletin provides instructions for inspecting the landing gear area for cracks. Additionally, the investigation noted that the aircraft was being operated on an uneven airfield surface during the taxi sequence.