What happened
On the morning of 16 January 2023, a student pilot was conducting a scheduled navigation training flight departing from Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) in Gauteng. The intended route included stops at Middel and Warmbaths before returning to the departure point. The flight was being conducted under visual meteorological conditions as part of a Part 141 training program.
During the takeoff roll on Runway 06, the pilot reached an indicated airspeed of 55 knots and initiated a climb by pulling back on the control column. However, the Cessna 172P Skyhawk, registration ZS-SDA, failed to lift off the ground effectively. As the aircraft settled back onto the runway, the stall warning horn activated, and the aircraft veered left off the paved surface and onto the grass. During the subsequent ground roll, the nose gear strut fractured, causing the aircraft to skid on its nose until it came to a complete stop. There were no injuries resulting from the incident, though the aircraft suffered substantial damage.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance history, finding that the most recent mandatory periodic inspection was current and that the aircraft held a valid Certificate of Airworthiness. Weather data from the South African Weather Service was also analyzed to verify the pilot's claims regarding wind conditions.
While the pilot initially reported encountering a tailwind, meteorological records indicated a wind direction of 110° at 7 knots. When calculated against the runway heading, this resulted in a 5-knot headwind and a 6-knot crosswind, meaning no significant tailwind was present. The investigation focused on the pilot's application of takeoff techniques as outlined in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH).
Findings
- The pilot failed to increase the takeoff speed above normal levels to compensate for the crosswind component.
- The aircraft's failure to achieve adequate lift-off was primarily due to a lack of compensation for drift during the takeoff roll.
- The pilot did not follow the specific crosswind takeoff procedures stipulated in the POH, which require maintaining aileron pressure into the wind and accelerating to a slightly higher speed to prevent the aircraft from settling back onto the runway.