What happened
On 10 July 2006, a Kitfox-Classic IV, registration ZU-DWE, was engaged in a training flight departing from and returning to Nelspruit Aerodrome. The flight involved an instructor and a student pilot performing circuit-and-landing exercises within the general flying area.
Upon returning to the aerodrome, the student pilot completed a landing on the runway. During the subsequent landing roll, the student applied heavy braking while the aircraft was still traveling at a significant velocity. This sudden deceleration caused the aircraft to nose over. There were no injuries reported for either occupant, though the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, tail plane, and airframe.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances of the landing and the mechanical state of the aircraft. It was noted that the aircraft had undergone its last annual inspection in April 2006 at 200 flying hours, and had since completed an additional 50 hours of flight time. Meteorological conditions at the time of the occurrence were reported as CAVOK with calm winds and a temperature of 23°C.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the excessive application of brakes while the aircraft was still at a high speed.
- The nose-over was a characteristic physical response of a tail-wheel aircraft to aggressive braking at high speeds.