What happened
On December 28, 2000, a Piper PA36, registered as ZS-LXN, was conducting an agricultural flight operating out of a private airstrip in the Bethlehem area. During the initial stages of the take-off roll, as the aircraft reached a speed of approximately 10 knots, the left-hand undercarriage suddenly gave way. The aircraft remained on the runway, and while the incident caused damage to the aircraft's equipment, no injuries were reported.
The investigation
An investigation into the incident focused on the mechanical integrity of the aircraft's landing gear assembly. The inquiry established that the collapse occurred at a very low ground speed. The impact of the gear failure resulted in secondary damage to the aircraft's agricultural implements, specifically breaking the left-hand spray boom and the hopper feed pipes. The weather conditions at the time of the occurrence were reported as fine.
Findings
- The primary cause of the landing gear failure was a failure of the main frame tubing.
- The collapse of the left-hand undercarriage led to the breakage of the spray boom and hopper feed pipes.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or any other persons on board during the event.