Accident Overview
On 3 December 2002 at 0835 Z, a Piper PA22-150 aircraft, registration ZS-NHK, was engaged in a conversion training flight at Lanseria Aerodrome. The aircraft was under the control of an instructor with a valid Commercial pilot’s license and Instructor Grade II rating, who had 18133 total flying hours, with 45 hours on type. The flight was authorized by the Flight Training School, which held a valid Operator’s License No. CAA/0065.
Sequence of Events
The instructor reported that during the flight, he demonstrated a short field take-off to the student pilot. During this maneuver, he felt a pronounced shimmy in the tail wheel. Subsequently, the aircraft completed three successful touch-and-go landings on Runway 06R. On the next approach, during the flare prior to a full stop landing, the instructor closed the throttle. Upon touchdown, the tail wheel began to shimmy, and the aircraft started to veer to the right. The instructor attempted corrective action using the rudder, tail wheel steering system, and brakes, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The aircraft veered off the runway to the right onto the grass, where the left-hand main landing gear collapsed.
Meteorological and Operational Conditions
The weather at the time was described as fine, with a temperature of +18°C and variable wind from all directions. The aircraft landed on Runway 06R in light but variable wind conditions. The aircraft had two persons on board, and no injuries were reported.
Damage
The left main landing gear collapsed as a result of the runway excursion.