What happened
On December 31, 1999, a private flight was underway from Worcester Aerodrome to Stellenbosch Aerodrome. As the pilot approached the destination, the area was experiencing turbulent crosswind conditions. The pilot opted to utilize Runway 19 for the arrival. During the landing sequence, the aircraft maintained an approach speed ranging from 70 to 80 mph, resulting in a hard touchdown. Following the impact, the aircraft bounced, and the nose wheel began to experience severe shimmy. As the pilot attempted to manage the aircraft by applying back pressure to the control column, the nose wheel dug into the runway surface. This caused the RV-6A, registered as ZU-BMU, to nose over and come to rest in an upside-down position.
While there were no fatalities and no injuries reported beyond minor trauma, the pilot sustained cuts to the head and left elbow. Bystanders at the aerodrome quickly reached the wreckage to assist the pilot.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the landing at Stellenbosch Aerodrome. The investigation focused on the aerodynamic conditions at the time of the accident, specifically the interaction between the prevailing gusty crosswinds and the aircraft's approach velocity. The inquiry established that the landing was characterized by excessive speed and a significant impact with the runway surface.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an excessive approach speed of approximately 80 mph.
- Prevailing gusty crosswind conditions contributed to the instability of the aircraft during the final approach.
- The hard landing directly led to the failure of the nose wheel assembly, specifically causing the nose wheel to dig into the runway and trigger the inversion.