What happened
On November 1, 2002, a Cessna A188B, registration ZS-NTW, was performing agricultural spraying duties near Bethlehem. During the low-level flight, the pilot momentarily diverted their attention toward the cockpit interior. This distraction led to the aircraft making contact with the ground. Although the aircraft struck the surface, it managed to regain flight, though the impact resulted in the shearing off of the main undercarriage.
Following the impact, the pilot returned to Bethlehem and executed an emergency landing on a grass runway. There were no injuries reported following the incident.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators reviewed the aircraft's maintenance history and operational status. The aircraft was being operated under a valid operator's license, and its maintenance records indicated that the aircraft was being maintained according to prescribed intervals. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown 79 hours since its last Maintenance Program Inspection (MPI), with the next inspection not due until February 2003 or upon reaching 2943 hours.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was pilot distraction during low-level flight operations.
- The contact with the ground during the spraying detail directly caused the structural failure of the main undercarriage.
- Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were reported as fine with calm winds.