What happened
On 07 February 2009, a Cheetah Sport NTCA aircraft, registration ZU-EHY, was conducting a private VFR flight from Cirus private aerodrome near Vereeniging to Kololo Lodge 2 near Vaalwater. The flight, which included the pilot and one passenger, proceeded without incident until the arrival at the destination.
During the approach to Runway 03, the pilot configured the aircraft with 10 degrees of flaps and maintained an indicated airspeed of approximately 50mph. The runway at Kololo Lodge 2 is a grass surface featuring a downslope. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced twice. During the second bounce, the aircraft made contact with the ground on its nose landing gear first. This impact caused the nose wheel to separate from the airframe, resulting in the aircraft nosed over on the runway. There were no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances of the landing and the condition of the aircraft. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was maintained by an approved person and had no recorded mechanical defects that would have contributed to the event. The pilot held a valid private pilot license with the appropriate type rating and a current medical certificate. Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were favorable, with clear visibility and light easterly winds.
Findings
- The aircraft was airworthy and properly maintained prior to the accident.
- The weather conditions were fine and did not contribute to the accident.
- The primary cause of the accident was a pilot error of judgement during the landing phase, specifically allowing the aircraft to land on the nose gear first while operating on a downslope runway.