Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Accident at Wonderboom Aerodrome (ZS-SPT)

Overview and Flight Details On 29 August 2022, a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee with registration ZS-SPT was conducting a training flight under Part 141 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2011. The aircraft was operated by a flight instructor and a student pilot at Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The flight was intended to cover Category 10 and 11 exercises, including slow flying, stall recovery, and spin avoidance. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the day of the incident. The aircraft had a total airframe time of 7,375.1 hours at the time of the accident. The flight began with a standard pre-flight inspection and fuel check, with no anomalies detected. The aircraft was fueled with 20 liters of Avgas 100LL, bringing the tanks to full capacity. The student pilot selected the right fuel tank for engine start-up and taxied to Runway 29. After completing pre-take-off checks, the student pilot switched the fuel selector to the left tank and lined up on the runway. The engine was set to 2,500 RPM, and the aircraft accelerated and rotated normally. However, at approximately 500 feet above ground level, the instructor observed a drop in airspeed and engine RPM, which fell to 2,000 RPM. The instructor requested to return to FAWB for an emergency landing but determined the aircraft would not reach the aerodrome. A Mayday call was transmitted, and the instructor committed to a forced landing on a public road west of FAWB. The aircraft struck a streetlamp pole with its right wing before coming to rest on the right side of the road, approximately 2,973 meters from the threshold of Runway 11. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and both the instructor and student pilot sustained minor injuries. First responders assisted the occupants in vacating the aircraft, and the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting team sprayed the aircraft with foam due to fuel leakage. Both individuals were transported to a hospital for medical attention. The accident site was located at GPS coordinates 25°39'03.8'' S, 028°12'09.4'' E, at an elevation of 4,012 feet. ## Aircraft and Maintenance The Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee is a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a Lycoming O-320-E3D piston engine rated at 150 horsepower. The aircraft was equipped with two 50-US-gallon fuel tanks, each with an individual fuel drain and pickup. The fuel selector valve could be set to off, left, or right tank. The last 100-hour mandatory periodic inspection was certified on 30 June 2022 at 7,306.8 airframe hours, and the last 50-hour inspection was certified on 15 August 2022 at 7,356.8 airframe hours. The aircraft's Certificate of Airworthiness was valid until 25 February 2023, and the Certificate of Registration was issued to the present owner on 30 June 2022. A Certificate of Release to Service was issued on 2 April 2022, valid until 29 June 2023. The flight folio indicated that the instructor had conducted a circuit training flight on the morning of the accident, logging approximately 1.1 hours with no defects noted. ## Weather and Environmental Conditions The meteorological aerodrome report (METAR) for FAWB at 1230Z on 29 August 2022 indicated a wind direction of 300°, wind speed of 5 knots, temperature of 27°C, dew point of 5°C, QNH of 1019 hPa, visibility greater than 10 km, and no cloud cover. The weather was suitable for visual flight rules. The temperature and dew point conditions made carburettor icing unlikely, and the engine was not vulnerable to icing at maximum power settings. ## Occupants and Witnesses The flight instructor held an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and a Class 2 flight instructor rating, with a total of 10,107.5 flight hours, including 510.0 hours on the aircraft type. The student pilot held a Student Pilot Licence (SPL) and had accumulated 12 hours at the time of the accident. Several witnesses at FAWB observed the aircraft taking off and noted that it appeared to be flying slow and low, with the wings rocking as it struggled to climb. One witness reported hearing a spluttering engine sound followed by silence before the aircraft made a right turn and executed a forced landing on the road.