Incident Summary
On 16 April 2003 at 1200Z, a Cessna 182J, registration ZS-NNU, was involved in an incident during landing on a private runway at De Rust Paul Cluver Wine Estate near Elgin. The aircraft had two persons on board; no injuries were reported, and the aircraft sustained minor damage.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft was established on final approach with 20 degrees of flap selected at an indicated airspeed of 80 mph. The touch-down on runway 19, which had a length of approximately 2100 feet, was smooth. However, the aircraft momentarily became airborne again due to uneven terrain shortly after touch-down. The pilot then allowed the aircraft’s ground speed to decay with engine power at idle and brakes applied, though he considered braking insufficient. He manoeuvred the aircraft at the top of the upslope to the left on the runway in order to turn right and back-track down the runway to the parking area. During the right turn, the left-hand main wheel and nose wheel rolled over a mound of soft sand, causing the nose to pitch down. Consequently, the propeller and wingtip made contact with the ground.
Investigation Findings
The weather at the time was fine with CAVOK conditions, temperature 25°C, and calm surface wind. An Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) visited the site and concluded that the pilot turned the aircraft to the right just before the end of the runway, and the nose and left-hand main wheel rolled over a mound of soft sand on the edge of the runway.
Probable Cause
The probable cause determined by the South African Civil Aviation Authority was that the pilot landed on a private runway and failed to look out properly when he manoeuvred the aircraft over a soft mound of sand in order to back-track the aircraft on the runway.