Nose Landing Gear Collapse on Sling 2 at Port Elizabeth Airport (ZU-WCG)

Incident Overview and Flight History On 4 May 2018, an Airplane Factory Sling 2, registration ZU-WCG, was involved in a serious incident at Port Elizabeth Airport (FAPE). The aircraft, a non-type certified aircraft (NTCA) with serial number 94 and manufactured in 2012, was operating under Part 94 regulations. The pilot, holding a private pilot license (PPL) with the type endorsement, hired the aircraft from a local aviation training organization (ATO) and departed at 1220Z for a scenic flight to Jeffreys Bay and back. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) during daylight hours. ## Operational Details and Conditions The departure, en-route, and arrival phases were uneventful. The pilot was cleared by air traffic control (ATC) for a full-stop landing on runway 08, the active runway at the time. The runway was 1,980 m long and 46 m wide, with a downward slope of -0.61%. The prevailing wind was reported as 080° at 14 knots in the 1330Z METAR, though the pilot stated it was 110° at 13 knots. The pilot selected 30° of flaps for landing. ## Incident Description and Damage Shortly after touchdown, the nose landing gear strut assembly collapsed, causing the aircraft to come to rest in a nose-down attitude on the runway surface. The aircraft sustained damage to the nose gear, propeller, and lower engine cowling. The pilot shut down the engine and advised ATC. Aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting (ARFF) personnel responded to the scene. Both occupants vacated the aircraft without sustaining any injuries. ## Investigation Findings The investigation revealed that the nose gear strut had weakened over time due to corrosion, evidenced by peeling paint and pitting on the strut surface. A possible excessive force applied to the gear on touchdown caused the strut to bend backward and collapse. The aircraft had a valid Authority to Fly and had been maintained according to prescribed standards, with the last maintenance inspection being an Annual Inspection certified on 6 April 2018 at 1,383.5 airframe hours. The pilot's medical certificate was deemed valid, but the pilot had failed to pay annual currency fees to the South African Civil Aviation Authority, meaning he was not allowed to exercise the privileges of his license at the time. ## Safety Recommendations The report recommended that operators of the Sling 2 aircraft carry out more frequent inspections on the nose landing gear strut for signs of distortion or damage, particularly in training environments where a large number of cycles occur between maintenance inspections. The Sling 2 aircraft type had experienced over 12 nose gear collapses in the preceding five years.