What happened
On October 3, 2002, at approximately 0700Z, an AL-60-4M Kudu, registration ZS-WZO, was involved in a landing accident at Renosterfontein, a grass farm strip located in the Thabimbi/Waterberg region. The flight was being conducted as a private operation.
During the approach, the pilot reported that conditions appeared normal, despite experiencing wind gusts between 5 and 20 knots. As the aircraft performed a wheel landing, the pilot was waiting for the tail wheel to make contact with the ground. At that moment, the tail of the aircraft lifted unexpectedly. Although the pilot attempted to implement corrective maneuvers, the aircraft proceeded to nose over. While there were no injuries among the four people on board, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators reviewed the maintenance history and operational conditions of the aircraft. The records indicated that the AL-60-4M Kudu had been maintained according to prescribed intervals. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had flown only 26.8 hours since its last annual inspection, which was not due until April 2003 or upon reaching 3146 hours.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a sudden gust of wind during the landing phase.
- The aircraft's tail lifted abruptly while the pilot was awaiting tail-wheel touchdown, leading to the loss of control and subsequent nose-over.