What happened
On October 18, 2001, a PA 28-R200, registered as ZS-LZF, was conducting a training flight when it experienced a mechanical malfunction. The flight, consisting of an instructor and a student, had departed from Port Alfred (FAPA) with the intention of flying to Grahamstown (FAGT). Following a successful touch-and-go maneuver at Grahamstown, the crew noticed that the gear in transit light remained illuminated.
Despite several attempts to rectify the issue while in transit, the nose gear failed to deploy. Consequently, the pilot decided to return to Port Alfred. Upon arrival at the airfield, further efforts to lower the nose gear were unsuccessful. The crew ultimately elected to perform a landing with only the main landing gear extended.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's undercarriage mechanism to determine why the nose gear remained retracted. The inspection focused on the components responsible for the gear's movement and stability. The investigation established that the nose gear became stuck in the up position due to physical interference within the wheel well.
Findings
Technical analysis revealed that the failure of the shimmy damper bracket was the primary cause of the incident. This failure allowed the shimmy damper to hook onto the side of the wheel well at the hinge of the left nose gear door, preventing the gear from extending. The investigation determined that the bracket failed due to metallurgical defects, specifically noting severe porosity and segregation within the material of the bracket.
While the landing resulted in no 0 fatalities or injuries, the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, the bottom nose cowling, and the undercarriage doors.