What happened
On 7 January 2002, a Windlass Trike, registration ZS-WEG, departed from a private farm located near Petrus Steyn for a local flight. The weather at the time of the incident was clear, with good visibility, calm winds, and no cloud cover.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot momentarily looked back toward the runway. Upon refocusing on the path ahead, the pilot discovered a horse had entered the runway directly in the aircraft's path. The resulting collision caused the aircraft to roll to the right and strike the ground. The impact and subsequent rollover caused the aircraft to land on the pilot, leading to one injury involving third-degree burns to the pilot's knee and stomach.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's airworthiness and the pilot's credentials. The pilot held a valid microlight license and possessed 75 total flying hours on this specific type of aircraft. While available records indicated that the ZS-WEG had been properly maintained, investigators were unable to find a valid Authority to Fly for the aircraft.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the uncontrolled entry of a horse onto the runway, which led to the mid-takeoff collision.
- The pilot's momentary loss of forward visual scanning during the takeoff run contributed to the late detection of the obstacle.