What happened
On 11 June 2003, an RV-8 aircraft, registration ZU-VAN, was involved in a ground incident at a private aerodrome located on Glendower farm near Kokstad. The aircraft, which had only accumulated three hours of flight time since its construction, was being used for type conversion training. The pilot, acting as the owner-builder, was accompanied by an instructor in the rear seat of the tandem two-seater.
While taxiing on the grass surface of Runway 19, the pilot attempted a 180-degree turn to line up for takeoff. During this maneuver, the turn was executed too wide, resulting in the left-hand landing gear striking a rut located adjacent to the runway. The impact caused minor damage to the airframe's landing gear box structure. No injuries were reported during the incident.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances of the training flight, which was being conducted under the authority of the Algoa Flying Club. The investigation confirmed that the club held a valid Certificate of Approval and had received specific authorization from the CAA to conduct training at the Kokstad location. Furthermore, the instructor had received official permission to conduct the aircraft's test flight and subsequent conversion training.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the pilot making an excessively wide turn during the alignment process on the grass runway.
- The aircraft's left-hand gear entered a rut next to the runway, leading to structural damage to the landing gear box.
- A contributing factor was the seating arrangement; the instructor was positioned in the rear seat, which lacks wheel brakes and provides only limited rudder control, potentially affecting the ability to correct the aircraft's path during the turn.