Accident Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche ZS-JCJ,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272679
 
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Date:Friday 1 June 2007
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA30 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche
Owner/operator:
Registration: ZS-JCJ
MSN: 30-346
Fatalities:Fatalities: / Occupants:
Aircraft damage:
Category:Accident
Location:Runway 06 at Wonderboom Aerodrome -   South Africa
Phase:
Nature:
Departure airport:Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB)
Destination airport:Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB)
Investigating agency: CAA S.A.
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The flight instructor and a student were busy with a conversion training flight onto the Piper PA30 aircraft type. The student stated that several touch-and-go landings carried out during the first flight of the day where uneventful. After they had lunch, they departed on the second flight of the day. On the first touch-and-go landing, the student flared the aircraft too high above the runway and a hard landing followed. The flight instructor then took over control of the aircraft in order to demonstrate to the student what was required from him. The flight instructor attempted to retract the undercarriage, but the gear up light failed to illuminate. The flight instructor requested a flyby in front of the tower, and the air traffic controller confirmed that the undercarriage appeared up. However, as soon as the flight instructor attempted to select gear down, the undercarriage failed to lock down. The flight instructor then utilised the emergency system to lower the undercarriage, whereafter he performed another flyby. The air traffic controller confirmed that the gear appeared to be down. The aircraft was landed without any further incident and was taxied to the aircraft maintenance organisation's hanger. Following an inspection of the undercarriage, the right-hand trunion assembly was found to be cracked. During the investigation process, a discrepancy was noticed in the statements between the aircraft maintenance organisation (AMO) and the pilot under training with regard to the cause of the cracked trunion. The right-hand trunion was sent for metallurgical analysis to determine the failure mode. The metallurgical report concluded that the trunion failed most probably due to a single induced overload force during operation of the aircraft and no clear indications of pre-failure crack formation were detected. The fact that the metallurgical report concluded that the failure was due to a single overload condition is in line with the evidence of a hard landing, which was initially reported by the flight crew. The flying school held a valid Aviation Training Organisation and Approval Certificate, no. CAA/0274, which was issued on 06 December 2006 with an expiry date of 06 December 2007. According to available records, the aircraft maintenance organisation (AMO) that certified the last mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) on the aircraft prior to the accident was in possession of a valid AMO Approval, no. 278, with an expiry date of 31 October 2007. The SACAA conducted an audit on the AMO on 05 September 2006. Probable Cause The right-hand trunion assembly failed due to overload following a hard landing.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: CAA S.A.
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

S.A. CAA

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
29 September 2001 ZS-JCJ 0 RWY 19 FACT
2 May 2009 ZS-JCJ Sunglide 139 CC 0 Runway 29, Wonderboom Airport, Gauteng sub
Heavy landing

Revision history:

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