What happened
On 10 October 2002, a Cessna 177A, registration ZS-FPK, was conducting a private VFR flight from Lanseria Aerodrome to Warmbaths Aerodrome. During the approach to Runway 03, the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 5,600 feet ASL with 20 degrees of flaps and an airspeed of 90 MPH. The pilot executed a right turn to descend toward the eastern side of the field, lowering the altitude to 4,600 feet.
In an attempt to manage the descent, the pilot reduced power and increased flaps to 30 degrees, maintaining an airspeed between 85 and 90 MPH. The aircraft touched down on the runway at roughly 70 MPH, which triggered a series of five bounces. During the landing roll, the pilot lowered the nose to maintain visibility of the runway and used the rudders to keep the aircraft aligned. Shortly after the aircraft slowed, control was lost, though the pilot was able to backtrack to the runway centerline and taxi to a parking position. Upon inspection, the pilot discovered damage to the tips of the propeller blades.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the flight parameters and the pilot's experience. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was well-maintained, noting that the engine had been overhauled recently in July 2002 and the most recent periodic inspection was completed in July 2002. The aircraft had accumulated 2,032.3 total airframe hours at the time of the incident. The investigation also noted that the pilot had only 1.4 hours of experience on this specific aircraft type.