What happened
On 27 July 2007, a Jabiru SP, registration ZU-SES, was conducting a private flight from Pienaarspoort Aerodrome to Kriel Power Station Aerodrome. During the approach and landing on Runway 22, the aircraft encountered significant wind turbulence. While the pilot had configured the aircraft with full flaps, a strong and gusty northerly wind component made it difficult to maintain the correct runway heading.
As the aircraft touched down, the left wing dipped and struck the runway surface. The impact caused the aircraft to land heavily on its nose wheel, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear. Both the pilot and the passenger escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's condition and maintenance history following the accident. The aircraft had undergone its most recent annual inspection on 15 November 2006, at which time the engine was also overhauled. At the time of the incident, the airframe had flown an additional 44.40 hours since that inspection. The investigation also noted the meteorological conditions at the time of the landing, which included surface winds from 300 degrees at 15 to 20 knots.
Damage to the ZU-SES included the propeller blades, the left wing tip, the underside of the left stabilizer, and the engine firewall mounting bracket.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was the loss of directional control caused by strong, gusty wind conditions during the landing phase.
- The aircraft's left wing made contact with the runway, leading to the structural failure of the nose gear.