What happened
On 28 April 2007, a Cessna C182J, registration ZS-EOE, was involved in a ground accident at Chitabe Aerodrome in Botswana. Following a successful landing, the pilot was taxiing away from runway 12 toward the parking area at Chitabe Lodge. As the pilot was the first of seven arriving aircraft, they noted that the primary parking area would be insufficient for the incoming fleet and attempted to relocate the aircraft to a smaller, adjacent space approximately 30 metres down the runway.
While traversing a narrow, two-metre-wide strip of grass separating the runway from the parking area, the aircraft's nose gear failed. This collapse caused the propeller to impact the ground, resulting in an immediate engine shutdown. Both the pilot and the passenger escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the gear failure and the terrain encountered during taxiing. The pilot reported that the nose wheel had transitioned into a dry mud hole, which triggered the structural failure of the gear.
Regarding maintenance, the aircraft's most recent Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) had been completed on 13 April 2007, with the airframe having logged 3,140.85 hours since new. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown 87.7 hours since that inspection.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, the nose gear, and the lower section of the forward fuselage.
- The primary cause of the accident was the nose gear entering a dry mud hole while crossing a narrow grassy strip.
- The incident occurred during a private flight operation.