Grumman American AA-5 Propeller Strike at Rand Aerodrome (ZS-IXL)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 22 July 2006 at 0730Z, a student pilot departed Rand Aerodrome (FAGM) in a Grumman American AA-5, registration ZS-IXL, for a solo cross-country training flight. The pilot, aged 43 with 36.3 total flying hours, was practicing touch-and-go landings at Lanseria, Pilanesburg, and Potchefstroom Aerodromes. The flight lasted approximately 1.8 hours, and the pilot reported that all landings were uneventful. ## Discovery and Aircraft Condition After returning to Rand Aerodrome and landing on runway 35, the pilot taxied the aircraft to the hangar. The aircraft maintenance organisation (AMO) then noted that the propeller blades were slightly bent backwards. The pilot stated he was unaware of any propeller contact during the flight. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft sustained no damage other than the bent propeller blades. ## Regulatory and Maintenance Status The pilot held a valid student pilot's licence and an unrestricted medical certificate. The flight training school held a valid accredited flight training certificate (no. CAA 0265), expiring on 28 August 2006. The last mandatory periodic inspection was certified on 27 June 2006 at 3,731.04 airframe hours, with the aircraft flying an additional 30 hours before the incident. The AMO (no. 104) that certified the inspection held a valid approval certificate. ## Probable Cause The investigation concluded that the propeller blades were slightly bent due to a propeller strike, but it could not be ascertained where or when the strike occurred.