What happened
On 30 November 2016, a student pilot was conducting solo consolidation training at New Tempe aerodrome. The flight began with dual instruction in a PA-28-180, registration ZS-EOD. After completing four circuits with an instructor, the instructor disembarked to monitor the student's solo progress via a hand-held radio from the runway threshold.
During the student's third solo circuit, another training aircraft entered the circuit and landed. The instructor of the second aircraft notified the monitoring instructor that the crosswind component was increasing. Consequently, the instructor advised the student to terminate the fourth circuit with a full-stop landing. During the final approach, the instructor observed the aircraft's left wing drop and immediately instructed the student to execute a go-around. While the student applied power in response to the instruction, the aircraft was already too close to the runway. The aircraft made a hard landing and began veering to the left, eventually exiting the runway and striking an ant hill. The impact caused the left main undercarriage to separate from the airframe. There were no injuries to the student pilot.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators established that the student pilot was performing solo consolidation exercises under the remote supervision of an instructor. The investigation confirmed that the wind conditions were changing, with an increasing crosswind noted by other aircraft in the vicinity. The inquiry verified that the aircraft struck an obstacle off the runway, leading to the structural failure of the left landing gear.