What happened
On 11 May 2024, a pilot operating an Aveko VL-3 Flamingo, registration ZU-FIP, was performing a local flight departing from Kitty Hawk Airfield (FAKT) in Gauteng Province. While returning to the airfield for landing on Runway 19, the pilot noticed that the landing gear warning lights remained red despite the gear being deployed.
Upon checking the electronic flight instrument system, the pilot discovered that while the nose and left main gear were fully extended, the right main gear was only partially deployed. Attempts to rectify the issue by retracting and re-extending the gear, as well as attempting a manual release, were unsuccessful.
Following the declaration of an emergency, the pilot prepared for a forced landing by configuring the aircraft for approach and securing themselves for impact. During touchdown, the partially extended right main gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded approximately 60 metres on its belly before veering off the runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and underbelly, though the pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the aircraft's landing gear mechanism following its recovery. The inspection revealed that the right main gear had stopped at roughly 80% extension. The investigation identified a damaged bearing that had developed a flat surface, likely due to wear and tear over time.
This bearing failure caused a gap between the gear track and the strut, which led the gear to skip its tracks. This mechanical misalignment prevented the gear from traveling its full length during extension or retraction. While the manual pump was found to be functional, it could not overcome the physical obstruction caused by the skipped tracks.