What happened
On the morning of 7 April 2023, a private flight departing from Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) in Gauteng was en route to the Chitwa Chitwa Game Lodge Airstrip in Limpopo. The aircraft, a Mooney M20C with registration ZS-NYU, was carrying a pilot and three passengers. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions without a filed flight plan.
Upon arriving at the destination, the aircraft landed on the gravel Runway 19. While taxiing toward the end of the runway at approximately 10 knots, the left main landing gear encountered a furrow in the surface created by recent rainfall. This impact caused the nose of the aircraft to pitch downward momentarily, resulting in the propeller blades striking the runway surface. The incident resulted in substantial damage to the propeller and the left main gear door, though there were no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the aircraft's maintenance and the pilot's credentials. The investigation confirmed that the pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence with the appropriate type rating and a current medical certificate. The aircraft's airworthiness documentation was up to date, with the most recent 100-hour inspection having been completed approximately 31 hours prior to the event. No mechanical defects were noted in the aircraft's flight records at the time of the occurrence.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the left main gear running over a furrow caused by rain on the gravel runway.
- Recent rainfall had eroded the runway surface, creating the hazard.
- It is possible the pilot was unaware of the specific condition of the runway following the rain, which prevented any necessary hazard mitigation during the landing and taxi phase.