Sling 2 Runway Excursion at Morningstar Airfield (ZU-IAZ)

Occurrence Overview On 3 October 2025, a Sling 2 aircraft registered ZU-IAZ was conducting a solo training flight from Morningstar Airfield in Western Cape Province, South Africa. The flight was intended to proceed to the general flying area and return to the same airfield under visual meteorological conditions. ## Flight and Personnel The pilot-in-command was a 64-year-old male student pilot holding a valid Student Pilot Licence and Class 2 aviation medical certificate. The aircraft had 1,095.8 total hours and had been maintained under a valid Certificate of Release to Service. ## Sequence of Events During the take-off roll on Runway 20, the pilot lost directional control due to crosswind conditions. The aircraft veered off to the left onto the grass area, where the nose gear strut broke and the propeller blades struck the ground. The aircraft came to rest in a nose-down attitude. ## Damage and Injuries The pilot was not injured. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the nose gear strut, propeller blades, and lower engine cowling. ## Weather and Contributing Factors The South African Weather Service METAR for Cape Town International Airport at 0630Z reported winds from 130° to 190° at 4 knots, with clear visibility. The investigation identified an average left crosswind of 3 knots as a contributory factor. The pilot did not compensate for the crosswind during take-off.