What happened
On 19 December 2022, a training flight involving a flight instructor and a student pilot ended in an aircraft accident at Brakpan Aerodrome (FABB) in Gauteng. The aircraft, a Piper PA23-250 Aztec with registration ZS-OGG, was performing a standard circuit training flight under Part 141 regulations.
During the final approach to Runway 36, the aircraft was traveling at approximately 80 mph when it encountered wind shear. This atmospheric disturbance caused the aircraft to descend more rapidly than anticipated. The resulting hard landing caused the nose landing gear to collapse. Following the impact, the aircraft skidded roughly 200 metres from the runway threshold before veering onto the grass area to the right of the runway. There were no injuries to the occupants, though the aircraft suffered substantial damage to the propeller blades and the underside of the nose cone.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the flight parameters, aircraft maintenance records, and meteorological conditions. The investigation confirmed that the pilot held a valid Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and a Class 1 medical certificate. The aircraft's maintenance status was current, with a mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) completed only eight hours prior to the accident.
Meteorological data indicated a headwind component of 8 knots and a crosswind component of 6 knots. These conditions were well within the operational limitations of the aircraft, which can handle a maximum crosswind of 15 knots.