What happened
On 26 January 2003, a private flight departing from Rand aerodrome (FAGM) experienced a significant mechanical failure during the takeoff roll. The CESSNA 172, registered as ZS-FIE, was attempting to depart from Runway 29 when, at an airspeed of roughly 30 knots and approximately 50 meters into the takeoff run, the pilot heard a loud bang. Following this sound, the aircraft's nose dropped, causing the plane to skid along the tarmac for an additional 30 meters before coming to a halt. The aircraft came to rest approximately 100m from the runway threshold. Both the pilot and the passenger were able to exit the aircraft without any injuries.
The investigation
Following the incident, investigators examined the wreckage of the CESSNA 172 to determine the cause of the sudden loss of control. The inspection focused on the landing gear assembly and the impact damage sustained during the skid. The investigation established that the nose gear fork had suffered a structural failure, separating from the nose gear oleo strut. This separation caused the propeller to strike the runway surface. Additionally, the right-hand wing sustained damage after making contact with the ground during the excursion.
Findings
Technical analysis revealed that the primary cause of the accident was the failure of the nose gear fork arms due to fatigue cracks. These cracks had developed in both arms and propagated through the metal over time, leaving the component too weak to support the operational loads. It was determined that the structural degradation was likely driven by long-term cyclic loading, specifically caused by persistent nose wheel shimmy, which eventually led to the overload failure during the takeoff roll.