What happened
On the morning of 3 September 2024, a Cessna 172F, registration ZS-EAD, was taxiing at Wonderboom Aerodrome in Gauteng Province for a training flight. The aircraft, occupied by a flight instructor and a student pilot, was proceeding toward the run-up bay near Runway 29 to perform pre-takeoff checks under visual meteorological conditions.
As the aircraft moved toward its designated spot, it followed behind a Cessna Citation that was actively performing power checks. While taxiing in the vicinity of the jet, the Cessna 172F was struck by the intense airflow from the jet engine's exhaust. This jet blast caused the aircraft's left wing to lift abruptly, leading to a subsequent impact where the right wing and propeller struck the ground. The aircraft eventually came to a stop on the grass area outside the run-up bay perimeter. Although the aircraft suffered substantial damage, both occupants disembarked from the wreckage without injury.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators reviewed the flight credentials and aircraft maintenance records. The flight instructor held a valid Commercial Pilot Licence and a Class 1 medical certificate, while the student pilot held a valid Student Pilot Licence and a Class 2 medical certificate. The aircraft, ZS-EAD, was found to have a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and a recent Certificate of Release to Service with no defects noted in the flight logs prior to the event.
Findings
The investigation established that the primary cause of the accident was the Cessna 172F taxiing behind the Cessna Citation without maintaining sufficient distance to avoid the hazards of jet blast.