What happened
On 28 May 2005, a Cessna 208B, registered as ZS-EGG, was performing a repositioning flight within the Democratic Republic of Congo. The flight originated from Mbudji’mayi Aerodrome with the intention of landing at Toende Aerodrome. During the landing phase at Toende, the pilot lost directional control of the aircraft. This caused the plane to veer off the right side of the runway and enter soft soil, where the nose of the aircraft became embedded.
While the aircraft sustained several points of damage, there were 0 fatalities and no injuries reported for the two occupants on board.
The investigation
Investigators examined the physical damage to the aircraft and its maintenance history. The excursion caused damage to the propeller blades, the nose wheel tyre, and the nose wheel fairing. Additionally, as the aircraft left the runway, it struck trees, which resulted in damage to the horizontal stabiliser and the main landing gear struts.
Records reviewed during the inquiry indicated that the aircraft had been properly maintained. The most recent mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) had been completed on 12 February 2005, at 5,628.41 airframe hours. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown an additional 46.02 hours since that inspection.