What happened
On 01 November 2001, a student pilot was conducting a solo training flight at Grand Central Aerodrome (FAGC). While performing maneuvers in the circuit and approaching Runway 17 for landing, the aircraft encountered wind-shear. This atmospheric disturbance caused a sudden loss of altitude. Despite the pilot's attempts to compensate by increasing engine power, the PIPER PA28-180 continued to descend rapidly.
As the aircraft neared the ground, it experienced a stall. The subsequent impact with the runway was severe, resulting in a hard landing. The force of the impact caused the nose landing gear and the left main landing gear to detach from the airframe. Additionally, the propeller struck the ground, and the left wing sustained damage during the event.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators reviewed the circumstances surrounding the flight and the aircraft's maintenance history. The aircraft, registered as ZS-JGD, had undergone its last Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) at 5138.3 flying hours on 19 September 2001. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown 70.68 hours since that inspection. Air Traffic Control observations suggested that the aircraft had stalled during the final approach phase. No injuries were reported following the incident, and there were no fatalities.