What happened
On 30 December 2025, a student pilot was conducting a training flight in a Cessna 172H, registration ZS-ETL, departing from Secunda Aerodrome in Mpumalanga. The flight was part of a Part 141 training program and was being flown under visual meteorological conditions.
After climbing to 6,500 feet and proceeding to a general flying area, the pilot traveled to Vlakspruit Farm Airstrip to perform a simulated engine failure exercise. During the approach to Runway 25, the pilot decided to perform a touch-and-go landing instead of the planned simulation. During this landing attempt, the aircraft bounced off the runway. Upon the second touchdown, the pilot lost directional control, causing the aircraft to veer left off the paved surface.
As the aircraft exited the runway, the nose wheel struck a ditch hidden by grass. The impact caused the nose gear strut to break and the propeller to strike the ground, resulting in a nose-over. While there were no fatalities and the pilot escaped without injury, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, nose section, wings, tail fin, and empennage.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the pilot's credentials. The investigation confirmed that the weather conditions, including a light crosswind of approximately 3.5 knots, were well within the operational limits of the aircraft.
Investigators also reviewed the pilot's documentation and found that the student pilot's licence had expired on 5 November 2025, representing a regulatory contravention. The aircraft's maintenance records, including the most recent periodic inspection and certificate of airworthiness, were found to be in order.