Incident Overview
On 30 August 2005 at 1300Z, a Cessna 172K registered ZS-FJT departed from a private aerodrome near Cullinan, Gauteng on a private flight to take aerial photographs. The aircraft was flying straight and level at approximately 5 500 ft AMSL when a thud (dull sound) was heard from the cockpit. The pilot suspected a bird strike, as many birds were in the vicinity. The pilot immediately returned to the private aerodrome, where an uneventful landing was performed.
Flight Details
The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions with fine weather. The surface wind was from the north-northwest at 10 kts, and the temperature was 20 °C. The aircraft had one pilot and two passengers on board; all occupants were uninjured. The pilot held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATP) with a total flying experience of 2 610.0 hours, including 1 000.0 hours on type.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained minor damage, specifically denting to the tail plane. No injuries were reported among the three occupants.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the incident was that the aircraft sustained damage due to a bird strike during flight.