What happened
On 05 February 2005, a Piper PA28-140, registration ZS-EVJ, was involved in a landing incident at Port Alfred Aerodrome. The aircraft was being operated for a solo training flight by a student pilot with 26 hours of total flying experience.
During the approach to Runway 25, the pilot maintained an indicated airspeed of roughly 85 mph. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced twice. As the aircraft continued its ground roll, it began to veer toward the right and then toward the left, eventually entering a skid. Despite the pilot's efforts to correct the track using the rudder pedals, the aircraft made a sharp left turn before coming to a complete stop. There were no injuries reported following the event.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing and the mechanical state of the aircraft. It was noted that the aircraft's last major periodic inspection (MPI) had been completed on 31 January 2005, with only 12 hours of flight time accumulated since that certification. The maintenance organization responsible for the inspection had been subject to recent audits. No on-site investigation was performed for this specific occurrence.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained structural damage to the right wing tip, the landing gear, and the nose oleo.
- The primary factor in the loss of control was a hard landing on the nose wheel.
- This impact caused damage to the nose oleo, which subsequently led to the pilot losing directional control during the ground roll.