Executive summary
On Monday 24 June 2002, at about 0730, Air Napier PA31-310 Navajo ZK-NPR was on a freight flight from Palmerston North when the pilot had to make an emergency landing at Napier because the right undercarriage was unable to be extended. The landing was successful, with moderate damage to the aircraft and no injury to the pilot.
The right undercarriage had failed to extend because the uplock hook could not release the undercarriage leg. This resulted from a flat oleo strut becoming compressed, and was a previously unknown design deficiency.
A safety issue identified was the need for wide publicity, including foreign countries operating the PA31 type, about this deficiency.
Related Recommendations
Publish widely, including to foreign Civil Aviation Authorities where the PA31 type is operated, advisory material about the cause of this undercarriage failure-to-extend accident, to alert operators and pilots to a previously unknown deficiency, and to assist any future investigation of a similar occurrence.