What happened
On 16 June 2005, a Tecnam P92-S Echo, registration ZU-MIF, was engaged in training operations at Light Flight Aerodrome in Cato Ridge. Following a successful flight with an instructor, the student pilot attempted a solo circuit. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft began veering toward the left side of the runway. The pilot attempted to correct the deviation with right rudder input, suspecting a crosswind, but the aircraft continued its path toward the edge of the runway.
As the aircraft approached ground that sat approximately half a meter higher than the runway surface, the pilot rotated the aircraft to clear the obstacle. However, the left wing struck the rising ground, triggering an anti-clockwise ground loop that left the aircraft resting on its right side. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported. The aircraft suffered significant damage to the engine mount, propeller, fuselage, undercarriage, and various wing and stabilizer components.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and interviewed the instructor, who had certified the aircraft prior to the flight. During the post-accident inspection, the left main landing gear was found lying on the runway, separated from the aircraft. The instructor noted that the bolt responsible for attaching the left main landing gear assembly to the fuselage had sheared during the takeoff roll.
While the aircraft had undergone an annual inspection in February 2005 and had flown roughly 70 hours since that certification, the specific bolt that failed was not recovered from the scene. Consequently, a metallurgical examination could not be conducted to identify the precise mechanism of the bolt's failure.