What happened
On January 11, 2002, a PIPER PA 30, registered ZS-OCE, was conducting a private flight from Rand Airport to Lanseria Aerodrome. The flight crew, consisting of the pilot and one passenger, requested a touch-and-go landing on Runway 06R. During the landing sequence, the pilot observed the left wing dipping, which was initially perceived as the oleo strut sagging.
As the nose wheel made contact with the runway, the aircraft experienced a sudden and sharp veer to the left of approximately 40 degrees. Despite the pilot applying full right rudder to correct the deviation, the aircraft failed to maintain its centerline. Fearing the nose wheel might dig into the rising terrain on the left side of the runway, the pilot increased power to clear the runway lights. However, because the airspeed had dropped significantly during the excursion, the pilot was forced to perform a controlled flight into the ground at a very low speed. There were no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the maintenance history of the aircraft. The aircraft's last Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) had been completed on October 12, 2001. The investigation focused specifically on the structural integrity of the landing gear. A metallurgical analysis was performed on the left main oleo strut, which had failed during the event.
Findings
- The failure of the left main oleo strut was determined to be the result of an overload.
- This overload may have been triggered by either a hard landing or the aircraft being improperly aligned with the runway at the moment of touchdown.
- The loss of directional control was a direct consequence of the structural failure of the landing gear strut.