What happened
On the morning of 10 October 2021, a student pilot was conducting a solo training flight at Mosselbay Aerodrome (FAMO) in the Western Cape. The flight, performed under visual flight rules, was intended for the purpose of consolidating circuit and landing maneuvers. The weather conditions at the time were clear.
After successfully completing four circuits, the pilot attempted a fifth landing on Runway 2 and encountered difficulties. During the touchdown, the Sling 2 aircraft, registration ZU-STB, bounced three times. An instructor, observing from the air traffic control tower, radioed the pilot to initiate a go-around. The pilot applied power to climb but immediately reduced it to idle after sensing a misalignment in the nose wheel and hearing the propeller strike the runway surface. Consequently, the aircraft skidded to the left, exiting the runway and coming to a halt on the grass approximately five meters from the runway edge. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft suffered substantial damage to the propeller blades, the left-wing tip, and the nose landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation reviewed the pilot's credentials and the aircraft's maintenance history. At the time of the occurrence, the pilot held a valid Student Pilot Licence and a Class 2 medical certificate. The aircraft's maintenance records showed that a mandatory periodic inspection had been completed in August 2021, and the aircraft was within its valid period for a Certificate of Release to Service.
Findings
- The landing approach was unstable.
- The aircraft touched down on the nose gear first rather than the main landing gear.
- The primary cause of the accident was the aircraft bouncing three times during touchdown, which resulted in the bending of the nose gear and the subsequent loss of directional control.