What happened
On 10 March 2000, a Cessna 310G, registered as ZS-LTL, was conducting an international flight from Nelspruit Airport toward Chibuto, Mozambique. During the flight, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions, which prompted a decision to abort the mission and return to the departure airfield.
Upon completing the landing at Nelspruit Airport, the aircraft's right-hand main landing gear collapsed. The impact caused significant damage to the airframe, specifically affecting the right-hand propeller and the right-hand main landing gear doors, along with structural buckling of the tail plane. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported during the incident.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the mechanical state of the landing gear assembly following the accident. The inquiry focused on the components of the right-hand main gear to determine why the assembly failed to remain locked after extension. The investigation scrutinized the maintenance history and the physical condition of the linkage components used during the most recent Maintenance Program Inspection (MPI).
Findings
Technical analysis revealed that the linkage bushes on the right-hand main landing gear had been manufactured too short. During the final MPI, this dimensional error caused the joint to become compressed when the mounting bolt was tightened. This compression rendered the undercarriage assembly too stiff to function correctly. While the gear was able to extend, the lack of mobility prevented it from reaching and locking into the required over-centre position, leading to the eventual collapse upon landing.