Mooney M20C Propeller Strike on Gravel Runway at Chitwa Chitwa Game Lodge (ZS-NYU)

Occurrence Overview On the morning of 7 April 2023, a Mooney M20C aircraft, registration ZS-NYU, was conducting a private flight from Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) in Gauteng Province to Chitwa Chitwa Game Lodge Airstrip in Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province. The flight was operated under Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 2011, with visual meteorological conditions prevailing. No flight plan was filed. ## Aircraft and Personnel The aircraft, serial number 2726, carried one pilot and three passengers. The pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence with a type endorsement and a Class 2 aviation medical certificate. At the time of the occurrence, the pilot had 151.7 total flight hours, including 74.2 hours on type. The aircraft had 3,415 total airframe hours and was within its weight limit, carrying 50 US gallons of Avgas 100LL. ## Sequence of Events After landing on gravel Runway 19 at Chitwa Chitwa Game Lodge Airstrip, the aircraft taxied at approximately 10 knots toward the end of the runway. The left main gear ran over a furrow created by rain, causing the nose to pitch down momentarily. This resulted in the propeller blades striking the runway surface, damaging the propeller blades and the left main gear door. No injuries were reported. ## Findings and Probable Cause The investigation found that the pilot may not have been aware of the runway condition following recent rains, limiting the ability to plan or mitigate hazards. The probable cause was the left main gear running over a rain-eroded furrow on the gravel runway, leading to the propeller strike. Rain erosion of the runway surface was identified as a contributing factor. The report recommended that pilots and operators request runway condition information at destination airfields to reduce similar risks.