Piper PA20-150 Ground Loop at Syferfontein Aerodrome (ZS-CCX)

Incident Overview and Flight History On 9 August 2007, a Piper PA20-150, registration ZS-CCX, operated by Flying Circus Aviation, was conducting a training flight from Rand Aerodrome (FAGM) to Syferfontein Aerodrome (FASY) in Gauteng, South Africa. The aircraft carried an instructor pilot and a student pilot. The flight was uneventful until the crew completed approximately 10 to 12 take-offs and landings at Panorama and Syferfontein aerodromes. ## Sequence of Events During the final landing on runway 31 at Syferfontein, the student pilot executed a 'wheeler' landing. As the aircraft slowed toward taxi speed and the tail wheel was lowered onto the runway, directional control was lost. Both the instructor and student attempted to regain control using the rudder, brakes, and a burst of power, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The aircraft entered a ground loop to the right, veering off the right-hand side of runway 31. ## Damage and Injuries The ground loop caused the left landing gear to collapse, resulting in ground contact with the left wingtip, left aileron, left tip of the elevator, and the propeller. The aircraft came to rest on its nose on the right-hand side of the runway. The left-hand window was also cracked. No injuries were sustained by either pilot, and no pre- or post-impact fire was observed. ## Aircraft and Maintenance The aircraft, a 1952 Piper PA20-150 with serial number 20-801, was powered by a Lycoming O-320 engine. At the time of the incident, the airframe had 4,155.2 hours. The last mandatory periodic inspection was conducted on 22 June 2007 by a CAA-approved maintenance organization. Inspections of the airframe, flight controls, engine, and propeller revealed no pre-existing defects; all damage was attributed to the accident sequence. ## Probable Cause and Contributing Factors The probable cause was determined to be the student pilot's loss of directional control due to a lack of experience, which was not corrected in a timely manner by the instructor. A contributing factor was the possibility of fatigue, given the number of landings completed prior to the incident. The aircraft had been involved in two previous similar accidents involving loss of directional control, on 28 December 1993 and 16 November 2005.