What happened
On 14 August 1998, at approximately 1400 Z, an Ayres S2R operated by Aerial Farming Services was positioned on the grass adjacent to the taxiway leading to runway 27 at Malelane Airport. The pilot was preparing for a mission to address a fire in the Nelspruit region.
During this period, a King Air aircraft landed on runway 27 and proceeded to backtrack onto the taxiway. To allow the King Air to pass, the pilot of the Ayres S2R began maneuvering the aircraft out of the path of the larger plane. During this ground movement, the left-hand undercarriage struck a hole in the surface that was not visible to the pilot. The impact caused a support strut in the left-hand landing gear to fail, resulting in the left wing and the propeller making contact with the ground.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the ground incident at Malelance Airstrip. The investigation focused on the aircraft's movement and the state of the airfield surface during the maneuver. The inquiry established that the pilot was attempting to accommodate the arrival of another aircraft and that the structural failure of the landing gear was a direct result of the aircraft's interaction with the terrain.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the poor surface condition of the area near the taxiway.
- The pilot was unable to see the depression in the ground while performing the maneuver.
- The structural failure of the left-hand undercarriage support strut was triggered by the aircraft's wheel entering the unseen hole.