What happened
On 23 April 2024, a private flight involving a Van’s Aircraft RV14, registration ZU-ITR, was conducting touch-and-go maneuvers at Stellenbosch Airfield in the Western Cape. The flight was being operated under visual meteorological conditions in clear weather.
During the third circuit of the flight, the pilot prepared for a full-stop landing on Runway 19. The approach was stable at 65 knots, and the touchdown itself was reported as uneventful. However, as the aircraft slowed to approximately 30 knots during the landing roll, the pilot attempted to decelerate to facilitate a turn into an exit taxiway. During this maneuver, the pilot applied excessive brakes, causing the aircraft to nose over. The propeller struck the runway, and the aircraft eventually came to a rest in a tail-high position. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, the nose section, and the left main wheel fairing.
The investigation
The SACAA AIID investigation confirmed that the pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence and a current Class 2 medical certificate. While the pilot possessed extensive experience from previous airline transport operations, they had relatively limited experience on this specific aircraft type, with approximately 43 hours of flight time.
Regarding the aircraft's airworthiness, the Van’s Aircraft RV14 was found to be in a serviceable condition. The Certificate of Airworthiness was valid, and the annual inspection had been completed recently, with only 18.9 hours flown since the last release to service. No mechanical defects were noted in the aircraft logbooks prior to the event.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the application of excessive braking during the landing roll.
- The sudden deceleration and braking force caused the tail-dragger aircraft to lose its upright attitude and nose over.
- The aircraft was operating in favorable weather conditions with no mechanical failures contributing to the event.