What happened
On 14 September 2024, a private flight traveling from Petit Aerodrome in Gauteng to Zandspruit Aerodrome in Limpopo ended in an aircraft accident. The aircraft, a Kitplanes for Africa Bushbaby registered ZU-IJC, was carrying a pilot and one passenger under visual meteorological conditions.
As the aircraft approached Zandspruit Aerodrome, the pilot performed a runway inspection and checked the windsock at the northern threshold, which indicated a light northerly wind. However, the windsock located near the southern threshold of Runway 35 was tangled, preventing an accurate assessment of wind velocity from that position.
During the landing attempt on Runway 35, the pilot encountered turbulent conditions. As the aircraft was positioned just above the runway in a three-point landing configuration, a sudden gust of wind from the east lifted the right wing. The pilot attempted a go-around by applying full power, but the aircraft drifted left. To avoid a hangar, the pilot's maneuvering caused the left wing to strike the ground, leading to a loss of control. The aircraft subsequently careered into nearby bush terrain, coming to rest nose-down against a tree. There were no injuries to the occupants, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances surrounding the loss of control, including meteorological data and the aircraft's recent history. The investigation utilized CCTV footage from a nearby hangar, which corroborated the sequence of events described by the pilot.
Investigators also noted that the pilot had been involved in a previous serious incident at the same aerodrome on 22 June 2024, involving the same aircraft, where directional control was lost during landing. Additionally, the investigation reviewed the weather conditions, noting a high temperature of 40°C, which likely contributed to thermal turbulence during the approach.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a sudden wind gust from the right that lifted the right wing during the landing phase.
- A contributing factor was the pilot's inability to accurately gauge wind speed from the southern windsock because it was tangled.
- High ambient temperatures (40°C) created thermal turbulence that complicated the approach.
- The aircraft had undergone an annual inspection approximately one month prior to the accident.