What happened
On 27 December 2000, a Grumman American AA-5, registered ZS-IXM, was involved in an incident during landing practice at Grand Central Airport (FAGC). The pilot was performing circuits and landings on runway 17 when the aircraft experienced a sudden change in flight path. During the landing sequence, the aircraft ballooned, leading to a significant impact with the runway surface.
The investigation
An investigation into the event established that the aircraft was operating under a private pilot license and was engaged in routine circuit training. The flight was intended to be a round trip, departing from and returning to Grand Central. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported following the event. The investigation focused on the flight dynamics during the final approach and touchdown phase on runway 17.
Findings
Technical analysis of the event determined that the primary cause of the incident was that the pilot allowed the aircraft to balloon during the landing phase. This uncontrolled ascent immediately prior to touchdown resulted in a hard landing, which provided sufficient force to cause the propeller to strike the ground.