Piper PA-28 Cherokee 140 Serious Incident at Port Alfred Aerodrome (ZS-ICL)

Incident Overview and Flight History On 30 September 2013, a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee 140, registration ZS-ICL, operated by 43 Air School (Pty) Ltd, was involved in a serious incident at Port Alfred Aerodrome (FAPA) in the Eastern Cape. The aircraft was on a solo training flight, piloted by a 21-year-old student pilot with 23.3 total flight hours. The flight began after a dual check flight with an instructor, during which both the student and instructor noted that the engine's idle power setting was higher than normal, at approximately 700 rpm, though still within the allowable limit of 750 rpm. The instructor deemed the aircraft safe for the student to proceed with a solo consolidation flight in the circuit. ## Landing Sequence and Impact During the student's first attempt to land, the idle power setting had increased further to approximately 850 rpm. This higher power setting caused the aircraft to float during the landing flare. The student pilot continued to apply back pressure on the control column, which resulted in the aircraft ballooning before it touched down on runway 10R on its nosewheel. The aircraft then veered to the left of the active runway before coming to rest on a heading of 100°M. The pilot was uninjured and evacuated the aircraft without assistance. ## Damage and Investigation Findings The aircraft sustained minor damage to the propeller, nosegear, and engine cowling. Further investigation revealed damage to the crankcase, which prevented a bench test of the engine. The aircraft maintenance organisation was unable to establish the reason for the high idle power setting. The carburettor was inspected following the incident and no defect was found, and no defects were reported in the last 47 hours of maintenance. The investigation concluded that the pilot displayed poor flying technique, which was indicative of limited flight experience. The student pilot did not attempt a go-around despite the ballooning, and the continued application of back pressure resulted in a higher nose attitude and reduced forward awareness of the runway centre line.