What happened
On 14 March 2008, a private flight departing from Port Elizabeth International Airport was en route to Aliwal North Aerodrome. The flight, involving a pilot and one passenger, proceeded without incident until the arrival at Aliwal North. Upon approach, the pilot deployed the undercarriage and confirmed three green lights indicating the gear was down and locked.
After touching down on the grass runway 24, the aircraft proceeded to taxi toward the hangar area. During this taxiing phase, the nose landing gear suddenly collapsed. The impact caused the propeller blades to strike the ground and resulted in damage to the lower nose section of the Piper PA300-200T ZS-MRV. Both occupants of the aircraft escaped without injury.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the condition of the aerodrome. The aircraft had been maintained by an approved organization, and its records showed it was airworthy with no reported defects prior to the event. The investigation also included an inspection by an aircraft assessor and an audit of the Aliwal North Aerodrome.
Investigators noted that while the municipality had attempted to cover holes in the runway with sand, the surface remained uneven and characterized by tufts of grass. The assessment of the wreckage revealed that the nose landing gear actuator rod-end had been bent.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the nose landing gear actuator rod-end was bent due to the forces encountered on the rough, tufted grass surface, which caused the gear to unlock and collapse backwards.
- The runway surface at Aliwal North was found to be in an unsafe condition, featuring uneven grass and holes.
- Weather conditions were clear and did not contribute to the accident.
- The pilot was properly licensed and the aircraft was in a serviceable state prior to the landing.