What happened
On 9 December 2002, a Windlass Aquilla, registration ZU-CNP, was involved in a landing accident at Rietfontein aerodrome. The pilot had departed from the same aerodrome for a local flight at approximately 1500Z under overcast but calm weather conditions. After roughly 50 minutes of flight, the pilot returned to find the weather had significantly deteriorated due to a thunderstorm near Waterkloof, resulting in strong, turbulent winds.
Upon contacting Lanseria tower, the pilot was informed of wind speeds of 25 knots with gusts reaching 40 knots. Attempting to land on Runway 08, the pilot first aborted the approach because it was unstable. During a second landing attempt, a powerful crosswind from the right pushed the aircraft toward the left side of the runway. While the pilot managed to reposition the aircraft onto the centerline, the aircraft was banked to the right at only 4 feet above the ground. As the pilot attempted to raise the right wing, the aircraft rolled to the left, causing the left wing to strike the ground and resulting in the aircraft overturning.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the aircraft's behavior during the landing sequence. Investigators confirmed that the extreme wind conditions were a direct result of nearby thunderstorm activity. The aircraft, which had 122 total flying hours, had undergone its most recent annual inspection in August 2002. Notably, the investigation revealed that the pilot had been involved in a previous accident in this same aircraft on 17 June 2002, which also involved the aircraft flipping over during a landing.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the strong and turbulent wind conditions generated by a thunderstorm in the vicinity.
- The aircraft's left wing made contact with the ground during a low-altitude correction, leading to the overturn.
- There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.