What happened
On July 14, 1999, a Piper PA 28-140, registered ZS-EBL, was involved in a landing accident at Port Alfred Aerodrome. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot during a solo training flight. The incident occurred at approximately 10:30Z while the pilot was attempting a second touch-and-go maneuver on Runway 28.
During the landing sequence, the aircraft ballooned. In the process of attempting to correct the aircraft's attitude and recover from the ballooning effect, the right wing tip made contact with the ground. This impact led to a loss of directional control, causing the aircraft to veer toward the left side of the runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing phase at Port Alfred Aerodrome. It was established that the aircraft was under the control of a student pilot with 18.6 total flying hours. The weather conditions at the time of the occurrence were reported as fine. The investigation confirmed that there were no fatalities and no injuries resulting from the event.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot ballooning the aircraft during the landing attempt.
- An attempt to recover from the ballooning state resulted in the right wing tip striking the runway surface.
- The loss of directional control caused the aircraft to depart the runway to the left.
- The impact of the excursion resulted in the nose wheel breaking off and the propeller striking the ground.