What happened
On 11 February 2022, a student pilot was conducting solo circuit training at Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) in Gauteng Province. The flight, part of a Part 141 training program, began after the student had completed three successful circuits accompanied by a flight instructor in a Cessna 172M, registration ZS-SLY.
Following the instructor's disembarkation, the student pilot took off for a solo consolidation flight under visual flight rules. While the first circuit was completed without incident, difficulties arose during the landing phase of the second circuit. The aircraft experienced a phenomenon known as ballooning, which led to a heavy impact on the nose landing gear. The aircraft bounced upon contact with the runway before coming to a stop. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries resulting from the event.
The investigation
An analysis of the aircraft by a maintenance organization revealed that the impact caused the nose gear oleo stop bolt to shear and resulted in the buckling of the engine firewall. The investigation confirmed that all damage was a direct result of the forces exerted during the hard landing.
Review of the aircraft's maintenance records showed that ZS-SLY had no outstanding defects regarding its braking or steering mechanisms. The most recent mandatory periodic inspection had been completed approximately 90 flight hours prior to the accident.
Regarding the pilot, the student held a valid Student Pilot Licence and a current medical certificate. At the time of the accident, the student had accumulated only 0.5 solo hours on this specific aircraft type.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was excessive approach speed, which led to the aircraft ballooning during the round-out phase.
- A contributing factor was the lack of experience of the student pilot.
- A crosswind of approximately 7.88 knots was present; while within the aircraft's demonstrated limits, the reduced airspeed during the ballooning phase made the aircraft more susceptible to wind effects and reduced the effectiveness of flight controls.