What happened
On 25 July 2001, a student pilot was conducting his second solo navigation exercise, flying a route that began and ended at Klerksdorp Aerodrome. The intended flight path included stops at Lichtenburg, DelaReyville, and Bloemhof. During the leg between DelaReyville and Bloemhof, the pilot inadvertently followed a heading of 290° instead of the required 190° due to an error in his flight logsheet calculations.
After approximately one hour of flight, the pilot realized he was uncertain of his current position. In an attempt to reorient himself, he decided to perform a precautionary landing on a road near Tosca on the Vryburg Road. During the touchdown, the right-hand wing of the Cessman 172E, registration ZS-DSS, struck a road sign. This impact caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the right, ultimately colliding with nearby trees and bushes. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported following the incident.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the flight logs and the circumstances surrounding the student's solo navigation exercise. The investigation focused on the discrepancy between the planned flight path and the actual heading flown. The inquiry established that the pilot's loss of situational awareness was directly linked to a mathematical error made during the pre-flight planning stage on the flight logsheet.
Findings
- The primary cause of the deviation was a calculation error on the flight logsheet, which led the pilot to steer a heading of 290°M instead of the intended 190°M.
- The pilot's uncertainty regarding his position prompted the decision to land on a public road.
- The physical damage to the aircraft was caused by the right wing impacting a road sign during the landing sequence.