What happened
On the afternoon of 2 December 2023, a private flight departing from Koppie-Alleen Farm near Perdekop, Mpumalanga, ended in an aircraft accident. The flight, operated under Part 9/1 regulations, was intended to land at Klipfontein Farm, located approximately 8 nautical miles south of Ermelo.
The pilot elected to use Runway 29, a grass-covered strip, to take advantage of an upslope gradient. While the weather was clear with light winds, the late afternoon sun created significant glare as the aircraft approached the ground. During the landing sequence, the pilot failed to account for the runway's upward slope, causing the nose wheel to strike the surface before the main gear. This impact severed the nose gear, causing the Cessna 182S, registration ZS-OCW, to settle in a nose-down position. The left wing made contact with the ground, preventing the aircraft from overturning. There were no injuries to the two occupants, though the aircraft suffered substantial damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the aircraft's operational status. The pilot, who held a valid Private Pilot Licence and had 896 hours of experience on this specific type, had only used this particular runway twice before.
Technical inspections confirmed that the aircraft was airworthy, with a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and a recent maintenance inspection completed in March 2023. Meteorological data indicated that the landing occurred approximately 45 minutes before sunset, placing the aircraft in a direct heading toward the setting sun.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the application of an incorrect landing technique on an upslope runway, which resulted in the nose wheel hitting the ground first.
- The pilot's depth perception was compromised by intense glare from the sun while landing into the sunset.
- A lack of familiarity with the specific runway characteristics contributed to the error.