Piper PA-34-200T Landing Gear Failure at Louis Trichardt Aerodrome (ZS-MHG)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 7 May 2002, a Piper PA-34-200T with registration ZS-MHG was involved in an accident at Louis Trichardt Aerodrome. The aircraft was operating a commercial flight with a pilot-in-command and two passengers on board. The pilot held a commercial license and had 1,757.6 total flying hours, including approximately 120.0 hours on type. The flight originated from Wonderboom aerodrome, with intermediate stops at Francistown and Gateway International Airport (Pietersburg) for customs clearance, before proceeding to Louis Trichardt Aerodrome. The accident occurred at 1710Z on Runway 28 at Louis Trichardt Aerodrome. No injuries or fatalities were reported among the three people on board. ## Operational Context and Pilot Actions The pilot departed Wonderboom aerodrome to collect two passengers at a private aerodrome in Northern Botswana. The takeoff runway at Wonderboom was described as rough grass. To minimize vibration strain on the airframe, the pilot elected for a short takeoff using Runway 29 into the wind, employing a nose-high takeoff roll to spare the nose gear. Close to lift-off, the pilot heard a loud impact sound from the right main gear, possibly from a rock, but did not observe any obvious damage during subsequent inspections at Francistown and Pietersburg. The flight continued with all cockpit indications normal prior to landing at Louis Trichardt. Upon touchdown, the landing roll initially appeared normal. However, when the pilot began applying brakes, the aircraft reacted as if it had a flat right-hand tire. The pilot immediately released the brakes, maintained control, and shut down the engines to stop the aircraft and assess the problem. After disembarking, the pilot realized the aircraft could not vacate the runway. A message was broadcast on VHF frequencies 124.80 and 121.20 to indicate the problem, and Johannesburg Briefing was also informed of the situation. ## Probable Cause The probable cause was determined to be the aircraft's extended utilization for landing and taking off from rough, unsuitable runways and aerodromes. This resulted in excessive strain on the landing gear, including the forward and aft trunnion fitting assemblies, leading to the subsequent failure of both these components.