What happened
On August 24, 2002, at approximately 10:20Z, an Auster D5-160, registration ZU-BDC, was performing a private flight from Springs toward the Kudu Ranch Game Farm area near Lydenburg. The weather conditions at the time of the incident were favorable, characterized by clear skies and a westerly wind of 10 to 15 knots.
As the pilot was executing a landing on runway 32 at the game farm, a sudden gust of wind caused the aircraft to drift to the left, moving it off the runway surface. During this excursion, the left wheel made contact with a rock, which triggered the aircraft to overturn. While the pilot escaped without injury, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the maintenance history and operational circumstances of the flight. The records indicated that the aircraft had been maintained according to prescribed intervals. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown only 21 hours since its last annual inspection, which was not due until February 2003 or upon reaching a specific hourly limit.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was the loss of directional control during the landing phase.
- A wind gust acted as a contributing factor by pushing the aircraft off the prepared runway surface.
- The impact with a rock on the ground led to the subsequent overturning of the aircraft.