Accident Overview
On 19 January 2002, a Piper PA-24 aircraft registered as ZS-CKK was involved in an accident at Queenstown Aerodrome. The flight, a private operation, departed from Cradock Aerodrome en route to Queenstown Aerodrome (FAQT) with one pilot and one passenger on board. The pilot, aged 34, held a valid private pilot licence with a total flying experience of 1,348 hours, including 75.3 hours on type.
Event Sequence
The flight proceeded without incident until the approach to Queenstown Aerodrome, when an electrical system failure occurred. In response, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear using the emergency extension system. However, the landing gear did not reach the down and locked position. Due to the electrical failure, the green landing gear down and lock indication light was inoperative, preventing the pilot from confirming whether the gear was properly locked.
Accident Details
The aircraft landed on Runway 30 at Queenstown Aerodrome. During the landing roll, the undercarriage collapsed. No injuries were sustained by either the pilot or the passenger. Meteorological conditions at the time were reported as CAVOK.
Probable Cause
The accident investigation determined that the total electrical system failure resulted from a broken generator feed bolt responsible for transferring electrical power from the generator to the system. The emergency extension system successfully lowered the undercarriage, but it failed to reach the down lock position during extension, causing the undercarriage to collapse upon landing.