What happened
On 7 June 2025, a private scenic flight departing from Plettenberg Bay Aerodrome (FAPG) in the Western Cape ended in a runway excursion. The aircraft, a Kitplanes for Africa Bushbaby Explorer registered ZU-FIH, was performing a routine flight under visual meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that the takeoff and subsequent flight were uneventful, with clear skies and calm winds throughout the mission.
As the pilot prepared for a full-stop landing on Runway 30, the aircraft was stable on final approach. However, immediately upon the main wheels making contact with the runway, a loud noise was heard. The aircraft subsequently veered toward the right side of the runway centerline. Despite the pilot's attempts to maintain direction using full rudder and differential braking, the aircraft departed the paved surface and rolled onto the grass approximately 60 to 70 meters from the touchdown point. During this excursion, the right main wheel detached from the undercarriage, leaving the aircraft resting in a nose-down position. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft following the incident revealed that the right main landing gear axle had fractured at the connection point to the undercarriage leg. The broken section of the axle became lodged within the brake caliper assembly, which created the asymmetric drag that caused the pilot to lose directional control. Skid marks on the runway confirmed that the aircraft experienced asymmetric drag and wheel detachment during the rollout phase.
Findings
- The primary cause of the loss of control was the fracture of the right main landing gear axle, which caused the aircraft to veer right.
- The failure of the axle was attributed to metal fatigue originating from a pre-existing crack.
- The aircraft was within its maintenance schedule, having undergone an annual inspection in January 2025, with only 32.87 hours flown since that service.
- Environmental conditions were favorable and did not contribute to the incident.
- The pilot's approach speed of approximately 52 knots was consistent with standard procedures for this aircraft type.