What happened
On the afternoon of 4 September 2024, a Cessna T210L, registration ZS-MSA, was operating a private flight from Kitty Hawk Aerodrome in Gauteng to Kego Mining Aerodrome in Mpumalanga. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions during daylight hours.
Upon arriving at the unmanned Kego Mining Aerodrome, the pilot performed a runway inspection and noted calm wind conditions. However, the pilot failed to execute the required before-landing checklists. Consequently, the aircraft approached Runway 3 and landed with the landing gear retracted. The resulting wheels-up landing caused the propeller to strike the runway, and the aircraft skidded on its belly along the centerline. There were 0 fatalities and the pilot was uninjured, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances surrounding the landing at the Kego Mining Aerodrome. The investigation confirmed that the pilot, an experienced Airline Transport Pilot, had neglected to perform the necessary pre-landing checks to ensure the landing gear was down and locked.
Technical reviews of the Cessna T210L revealed that the aircraft was airworthy and had undergone a maintenance inspection earlier that year. While the aircraft was equipped with a functional landing gear warning system, this did not prevent the occurrence. Meteorological data indicated that the weather was clear with a temperature of 27°C, and environmental factors played no role in the incident.