Incident Overview
On October 2, 2005, a Piper PA-38-112 with registration ZS-KKU was involved in an accident at Malmesbury Aerodrome in the Western Province. The aircraft was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) on a private flight from Cape Town International Airport to a private runway near Malmesbury. The pilot-in-command held a valid license and had 87.3 total flying hours, including 30.1 hours on type.
Operational Sequence
The pilot and one passenger arrived overhead the aerodrome after approximately 20 minutes of flight. During the final approach to runway 36, the pilot selected full flaps at an indicated airspeed of roughly 60 knots. The aircraft touched down approximately halfway down the runway. In an attempt to stop before the end of the available runway length, the pilot applied excessive braking.
Accident Mechanics
The aggressive braking resulted in a loss of directional control, causing the aircraft to depart the runway to the left and roll onto the grass. As the pilot attempted to correct the situation by applying right rudder, the aircraft struck a trench in the sand. This impact caused the right-hand main wheel to separate from the airframe. The investigation noted that the pilot had misread the windsock, selecting a runway with a downwind component exceeding five knots.
Damage and Maintenance Status
The accident resulted in slight damage to the right-hand flap and the separation of the right main wheel. Neither the pilot nor the passenger sustained injuries. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had accumulated 11,470.43 airframe hours. The last Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) was certified on September 2, 2005, at 11,444.43 hours, meaning the aircraft had flown 26.00 hours since that inspection.