What happened
On the afternoon of 11 November 2025, a training flight conducted under Part 141 regulations resulted in an aircraft accident at Springs Airfield (FASI) in Gauteng. The flight, involving a flight instructor and a student pilot, began with a series of successful touch-and-go landings in the Piper PA-28-180, registration ZS-ISI. Following these maneuvers, the instructor disembarked to allow the student pilot to continue the session solo.
During the subsequent solo circuit, the student pilot attempted a landing on Runway 03. While on final approach, the aircraft was configured with second-stage flaps, but the airspeed was maintained at approximately 85 mph. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced, leading to a loss of control. The aircraft subsequently struck the runway with significant force on the nosewheel, causing the nose gear strut to collapse. The impact forced the nose downward, resulting in the propeller striking the runway surface. The aircraft remained on the runway after the incident, and the student pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the technical status of the aircraft. The investigation confirmed that the student pilot held a valid Student Pilot Licence and a current Class 2 medical certificate. At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated 42.3 flying hours on this specific aircraft type.
Regarding the aircraft's airworthiness, the investigation found that the Piper PA-28-180 had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and was within its mandatory periodic inspection interval. The maintenance organization and the training organization were both operating under valid regulatory certificates. The investigation also noted a discrepancy between the pilot's approach speed and the manufacturer's recommended values.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an unstable approach, characterized by an approach speed of 85 mph, which was 9 mph higher than the recommended 76 mph for the configured flaps.
- This excessive speed led to the aircraft bouncing during touchdown and the subsequent failure of the nose gear strut.
- The pilot's lack of experience was identified as a contributing factor to the unstable approach and the inability to recover from the bounce.