What happened
On the morning of 19 July 2022, a student pilot operating a Cessna 172P, registration ZS-S-SDA, departed Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) for a routine training flight within the local general flying area. The flight, conducted under visual flight rules, proceeded without issue until the return to the aerodrome.
During the final approach to Runway 11, the pilot reduced the indicated airspeed from 70 to 65 knots with the flaps set at 30°. As the aircraft entered the flare, it made contact with the runway with excessive force on the main landing gear. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce back into the air, leading to a momentary loss of directional control as the aircraft drifted left of the runway centerline. A second hard touchdown occurred, though the pilot was able to regain control and taxi the aircraft back to the hangar. The impact resulted in minor damage to the aircraft's bottom left-side firewall, but there were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The SACAA AIID investigation confirmed that the student pilot was properly licensed, qualified, and held a valid medical certificate at the time of the occurrence. The aircraft's maintenance records showed that the mandatory periodic inspection had been completed recently, and the airworthiness documentation was up to date.
Investigators analyzed the meteorological conditions, noting a 5kt left crosswind and a 6kt tailwind component. While the wind was not ideal, the 6kt tailwind was deemed too insignificant to be a contributing factor to the incident.
Findings
The investigation established that the primary cause of the incident was that the pilot flared the aircraft too early. This premature maneuver resulted in a loss of altitude and a subsequent hard landing on the main gear, which triggered the bounce and the subsequent deviation from the runway centerline.