Cessna 402C Nose Gear Collapse at Wonderboom Airport (ZS-NVE)

Accident Overview and Aircraft Details On 3 May 2021, a Cessna 402C with registration ZS-NVE was repositioning from Ithala Game Lodge Airstrip in KwaZulu-Natal to Wonderboom Airport (FAWB) in Gauteng Province. The flight was conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) by day. The aircraft had a total of 12,410 hours on its airframe, and the pilot-in-command held a Commercial Pilot Licence with 1,491.4 total flying hours and 177.1 hours on type. ## Sequence of Events The pilot reported that the flight was uneventful. Upon arrival at Wonderboom Airport, the pilot was cleared for a right visual approach to Runway 29 and instructed to descend to 7,000 feet. During the downwind leg, the pilot performed checks, including extending the flaps and lowering the landing gear. The pilot confirmed that the three green landing gear position indicator lights were illuminated on both the base and final approach legs. After touchdown on Runway 29, approximately 200 to 300 metres from the runway threshold, the nose landing gear collapsed. The aircraft subsequently stopped in the middle of the runway. The pilot was not injured. ## Damage and Post-Accident Findings The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the nose cone, nose gear doors, pitot tube, and both the left and right engine propeller blade tips. According to the aircraft maintenance organisation (AMO) technical report, the nose landing gear lowered to the down and locked position when the nose of the aircraft was lifted during recovery from the runway. The aircraft was towed to a hangar on its main landing gear and placed on jacks. The landing gear system was inspected for damage and then tested, operating normally with eight fault-free retractions. The pilot disputed the AMO's report, stating that the retraction tests were conducted on 4 May 2021, not the day of the accident, and that it is not possible to retract the landing gear when the aircraft's weight is on the landing gear. The pilot also noted that the flaps lever is located on the co-pilot's side, while the gear lever is on the pilot-in-command's side above the right knee, making it difficult to mistake one for the other. ## Investigation and Probable Cause The investigating team examined the landing gear retractions at the hangar and found that when the landing gear lever was engaged to the retract position, the right main landing gear retracted first, followed by the nose landing gear, and lastly the left main landing gear. When the landing gear system is extended, the main landing gears face slightly out, which prevents them from retracting when on the ground. According to the airframe logbook, the mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) was conducted on 7 January 2021, during which five landing gear retraction tests were carried out. The AMO indicated that the landing gear system was inspected and recycled eight times post-accident, engaging into the down and locked position each time without fault. The probable cause was determined to be the collapse of the nose landing gear during the landing roll; however, the specific cause of the collapse could not be determined. No safety actions were issued, but the report emphasized the importance of pilots ensuring all three landing gears are in the down and locked position during downwind checks as per the Pilot Operating Handbook checklist.