Piper Cherokee PA-28-140 Accident at Lanseria International Airport (ZS-IKY)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 23 May 2023, a Piper Cherokee PA-28-140, registration ZS-IKY, was involved in an accident at Lanseria International Airport (FALA) in Gauteng Province. The aircraft, which had a total airframe time of 8,321.25 hours, sustained substantial damage to its right wingtip, nose gear, lower engine cowling, and propellers. The flight was a hire-and-fly operation under Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Regulations, intended for circuit-and-landing exercises to build hours toward a Commercial Pilot Licence. The pilot-in-command held a valid Private Pilot Licence and had recently completed conversion training from a Cessna 172 to the Piper type on 19 May 2023. At the time of the accident, the pilot was flying as PIC for the first time on this specific aircraft type, having accumulated approximately 1.0 hour on the type.