Accident Details
On 30 July 2003, at approximately 13:12 Z, a private Cessna 210B aircraft, registration ZS-CTA, departed from FAPM (Pietermaritzburg Aerodrome) for a pleasure flight to the Mooiriver area. The aircraft was operated by a private pilot, aged 55, who held a valid private pilot licence and was properly rated on the aircraft type. The pilot had accumulated 128.3 total flying hours, with 24.1 hours on the Cessna 210B. The last mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) was certified on 14 July 2003. Weather conditions at the time were fine, with no cloud cover, an easterly wind of 8–10 knots, and a temperature of approximately 25°C. The aircraft had two persons on board: the pilot and the owner of the aircraft. Upon return, the pilot conducted a normal landing on Runway 16 at Pietermaritzburg Aerodrome.
Accident Sequence
During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed. Both occupants escaped unharmed from the aircraft. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the nose wheel well area. The investigation noted that the aircraft's serial number is 210-57855. Previous maintenance on the nose gear ram cylinder after an earlier accident had involved incorrect spare parts (incorrect part numbers), although this did not contribute to the accident. A functional check of the landing gear system was performed, and the rigging or operation of the sequence valve raised concern.
Probable Cause
It would appear that the rigging/operation of the sequence valve resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear.