What happened
On the morning of 9 September 2006, a Tecnam P2002-JF, registration ZS-PPT, was conducting a private flight departing from Rand Aerodrome. Following an initial flight earlier that day, the pilot, accompanied by his wife, completed a flight lasting approximately 75 minutes before returning to the aerodrome for landing.
While cleared to land on Runway 35 under CAVOK conditions, the aircraft encountered a sudden wind gust that caused it to veer left. Seeking to stabilize the aircraft's attitude, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure. During this maneuver, the pilot retracted the flaps from 30° to 15° and applied full power; however, the aircraft failed to climb. The aircraft subsequently experienced a heavy landing on the runway. With the engine still at full power, the aircraft drifted left of the runway centerline toward a windsock pole. In an attempt to avoid the structure, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft, causing both the right and left wings to strike the ground. The aircraft came to rest 120m left of the runway, approximately 50m past the windsock pole. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries among the two occupants, who were secured by four-point harnesses.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight sequence, the mechanical state of the aircraft, and the maintenance history. The aircraft had undergone its last Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) on 14 June 2006, at 296.7 airframe hours, with 98.3 hours flown since that inspection. The maintenance was performed by an approved organization. The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the transition from the landing configuration to the go-around configuration.
Findings
- The pilot executed an incorrect go-around procedure by retracting the flaps prematurely or incorrectly, leading to a sudden loss of lift.
- A sudden wind gust disturbed the aircraft's approach, prompting the decision to abort the landing.
- The aircraft's failure to gain altitude during the missed approach resulted in a heavy touchdown and subsequent loss of directional control.