What happened
On 27 April 2001, a student pilot was conducting a solo navigation exercise, flying from Grahamstown (FAGT) toward Henry’s Flats (FAHF). This was the pilot's second attempt at this specific route, having previously failed to locate the intended destination during a prior flight. During this second attempt, the pilot once again failed to find the target airfield and instead landed at the Glentana farm strip, located approximately 3 nautical miles east of Henry’s Flats.
Uncertain if the farm strip's runway was suitable for departure, the student pilot proceeded with a takeoff attempt. As the Cessna 152, registration ZS-LIA, began its takeoff roll, the aircraft failed to accelerate sufficiently to reach rotation speed. The pilot attempted to abort the takeoff; however, in an effort to avoid hitting a boundary fence, the pilot steered the aircraft to the right. This maneuver resulted in a loss of control and a subsequent crash.
The investigation
The investigation into the incident confirmed that the student pilot held a valid license and was properly endorsed to fly the aircraft type. The flight was officially authorized, and maintenance records indicated that the aircraft had been correctly maintained. Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were reported as fine.
Findings
- The pilot landed at an unintended location after failing to navigate to the correct airfield.
- The pilot attempted a takeoff from an unverified runway surface.
- The aircraft experienced a failure to reach rotation speed, likely due to long grass on the runway surface.
- The accident resulted in extensive damage to the Cessna 152 and substantial damage to the boundary fence, though there were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries.