What happened
On 19 March 2006, a Cubby aircraft, registration ZU-CYB, was conducting a solo training flight departing from Brakpan Benoni Aerodrome in Gauteng. After departing from runway 36, the student pilot returned to the airfield to perform a landing on the same runway. During the approach, the pilot maintained an indicated airspeed of 60 mph without the use of flaps. As the aircraft neared the runway, the pilot misjudged the round-out phase of the landing, which caused the aircraft to balloon upward before striking the runway surface with significant force.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the landing on runway 18. The weather conditions at the time were reported as fine, with a temperature of 22ºC and a light surface wind of 5 knots from the north. The investigation confirmed that the student pilot was operating the aircraft for training purposes and held a valid license. The aircraft's maintenance records showed that the last annual inspection had been completed recently, with only 13 flight hours accumulated since that certification. The flight school involved held a valid and accredited operating certificate at the time of the occurrence.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the student pilot misjudged the round-out during the landing sequence.
- This error led to the aircraft ballooning and subsequently making a hard impact with the runway.
- The impact resulted in minor damage to the aircraft's undercarriage and caused the propeller blade tips to bend.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or any other persons on board.