Synopsis
On 21 May 2001 at 0730 Z, a Douglas DC-3 (registration ZS-GPL) departed from Wonderboom Airport (FAWB) on a private flight to Fly Inn. The two occupants were the pilot and one other crew member (2+0). Prior to landing on runway 06, the pilot inspected the runway and the overrun and undershoot areas. The wind was calm at that time. A dirt road ran perpendicular to the runway, located 16 meters from the threshold in the undershoot area. A furrow had been dug adjacent to the road, creating a mound of soil on the edge of the road.
During the landing attempt, the aircraft touched down 16 meters short of the threshold. Both main landing gears contacted the dirt road and the mound of soil. The right main gear struck a rock within the mound, causing that gear to collapse. The aircraft veered to the right, and the right propeller struck the ground. The aircraft came to rest approximately 450 meters from the runway 06 threshold. Substantial damage was incurred, but there were no injuries.
The pilot reported that after the accident the wind shifted to a southwesterly direction at about 10 knots. An on-site investigation two hours later confirmed the wind was southwesterly at an estimated 10 knots.
Investigation
The accident was investigated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. The pilot held an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATP) with a total of 17,178 flying hours, of which 530 hours were on the Douglas DC-3 type. The license was valid. The flight was a private operation. The intended destination was Fly Inn, and the departure point was FAWB. Weather at the time was CAVOK.
The investigation noted that the dirt road in front of runway 06 was slightly elevated compared to the runway surface. This condition, together with the changing wind conditions, resulted in the aircraft touching down short of the runway.
Probable Cause
The report states the probable cause as: "The aircraft touched down short of runway 06 as a result of changing wind conditions that increased the rate of descent of the aircraft on final approach. The fact that the dirt road in front of runway 06 is slightly elevated above the runway elevation also contributed to the accident."