What happened
On 27 April 2006, a Convair 580, registration ZS-SKH, was conducting a domestic cargo flight from Goma Aerodrome to Amnisi Aerodrome in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The flight, operated by Skyhaul (SA) under a dry lease to Sun Air Services, initially proceeded without incident. Upon approaching Amnisi, the aircraft touched down on the runway; while the initial contact appeared normal, the aircraft experienced three consecutive bounces during the landing roll.
Following these bounces, the left-hand main undercarriage collapsed. This structural failure created significant friction, causing the aircraft to veer toward the left. Although the pilot initially managed to correct the direction and steer back to the right, the aircraft subsequently veered left once more, leading the left wing to strike an embankment. The aircraft skidded for roughly 200 meters, during which the left engine and left wing separated from the fuselage. The left main landing gear also became detached during the sequence. The fuselage then struck a water furrow and slid for an additional 40 meters before coming to a halt in an inverted position. A post-impact fire ignited, completely destroying the airframe. There were 8 fatalities among the two crew members and six passengers on board.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of the landing roll and the mechanical failure of the landing gear. Investigators noted that while the weather conditions were reported as CAVOK by local villagers, the physical evidence on the runway indicated a series of bounces prior to the gear collapse. The investigation also looked into the operational arrangement between the South African operator and the Congolese lessee.