What happened
On 30 November 2003, a FOURNIER RF-5B, registration ZS-UMZ, was conducting a private flight from Worcester Aerodrome to a private, unlicensed aerodrome located on a farm near Hermanus. The flight was operated by a student glider pilot accompanied by one passenger.
As the aircraft was decelerating during the landing roll at the destination, the starboard side rigger-wheel struck a mound of sand. This impact triggered a ground loop, resulting in significant structural damage to the aircraft. Specifically, the port side wing failed, and the undercarriage and the starboard side of the fuselage sustained substantial damage. There were no injuries reported for the two occupants.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted via a postal inquiry, reviewed the aircraft's maintenance and operational status. At the time of the occurrence, the aircraft held a valid Authority To Fly, which had been issued on 3 June 2003. Records indicated that the most recent annual inspection was completed on 3 June 2003 at 1085.44 hours, meaning the aircraft had flown an additional 10.9 hours since that inspection.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the collision of the starboard rigger-wheel with a mound of sand during the landing roll.
- The impact of the sand mound directly induced the ground loop that led to the structural failure of the wing and fuselage damage.