What happened
On 3 January 2003, a PA-30, registered as ZS-DVD, was conducting a private sightseeing flight in the Drakensberg region. The aircraft, operated under a hire and fly arrangement, departed from Ficksburg with a commercial pilot and three passengers. After a routine landing on Runway 11 at Bethlehem aerodrome, the pilot began a right-hand turn to backtrack toward the fuel pumps.
As the aircraft had traveled approximately 10 meters along the runway following the 180-degree turn, the left-hand main landing-gear side brace stud failed. This structural failure caused the left-side undercarriage to collapse while the aircraft was moving at a very low speed. The incident resulted in minor damage to the left propeller and the left wing tip, but no injuries were reported among the four occupants.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear assembly. Investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that the last mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) had been completed in February 2002, with the airframe having accumulated 95 hours since that check. A metallurgical analysis was performed on the failed component to determine the nature of the fracture.
Findings
- The primary cause of the undercarriage collapse was that the failed side brace stud did not meet the manufacturer's material specifications.
- The component was identified as a non-conforming, or "bogus," part.
- The use of this substandard part led to premature failure when subjected to reversed bending stresses during normal operations.