Background
On 6 January 2003, a Piper PA34-220T aircraft registered as ZS-MPM departed Port Alfred on a private flight to Kwandwe Game Reserve. The pilot-in-command, aged 46, held a commercial pilot licence valid at the time of the accident. Total flying experience was 1566.3 hours, with unknown hours on type. The aircraft had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and had accumulated 2875 total flight hours. The last mandatory periodic inspection was certified on 22 October 2002 at 2810 hours, 65 flight hours before the accident.
Accident Sequence
Upon arrival at Kwandwe Game Reserve, witnesses observed the left-hand main landing gear “flapping” when the gear was extended. As the aircraft landed, the left main gear had turned through 90°. The gear subsequently separated from the aircraft, causing a ground loop to the left. The aircraft then came to rest. There were two persons on board; no injuries were reported.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the left-hand main landing gear revealed that the lower torque link had failed at its connection to the upper torque link. One of the fracture faces of the torque link had been damaged, preventing determination of fracture characteristics. The other fracture face exhibited a porous grain structure and appeared to have failed due to overload. No evidence of pre-existing cracks that could have weakened the component’s structural integrity was found.
Probable Cause
The lower left-hand torque link failed during or after takeoff from Port Alfred aerodrome. This failure allowed the wheel to turn sideways, resulting in the aircraft landing with the left-hand gear turned 90°. Upon landing, the gear separated and the aircraft ground looped to the left. Because one fracture face was damaged, the existence of a pre-existing crack could neither be confirmed nor excluded; the other face showed failure due to overload.