History of Flight
On 19 May 2010, at 0445Z, the pilot departed from Mafikeng Aerodrome (FAMM) on a ferry flight to New Tempe Aerodrome (FATP). The pilot was the sole occupant and had filed a VFR flight plan, cleared for FL 085. The estimated flying time was 2 hours 5 minutes.
The pilot joined the FATP circuit from the north-west. The active runway was reported as Runway 10, but the pilot opted to land on Runway 01 behind a departing military DC3 C47-TP conducting paratrooping. ZS-AFH was number one to land behind the military aircraft, with another aircraft, ZS-SMF (Beech V35), on left downwind behind ZS-AFH.
According to the pilot of ZS-SMF, ZS-AFH was high on final approach and deviated to intercept the runway centreline. The aircraft had a high rate of descent and landed hard, bouncing several times. The pilot lost directional control, and the aircraft veered off the runway to the left. The nose landing gear broke off, and the aircraft nosed over, coming to rest inverted.
The pilot reported approaching with 10° flap, in a nose-down attitude, and experiencing a sudden downdraught before touching down on the nose wheel, bouncing three times. The military crew heard a crash call about 45 seconds after brake release, and saw the inverted aircraft.
Injuries to Persons
The pilot sustained cuts and bruises to his arms and legs. He was attended by military medical personnel on scene and transported by ambulance to a private hospital, where he was admitted overnight for observation.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The nose landing gear assembly broke off, and the propeller and lower nose fuselage dug into the soil during the nose-over. A spare propeller (McCauley 1G172/EM) carried as cargo was projected through the front windshield and came to rest 22.7 m in front of the wreckage, sustaining minor damage.
Other Damage
The spare propeller sustained minor damage when it was projected through the windshield.
Probable Cause
Incorrect landing technique by the pilot, which caused the aircraft to bounce several times resulting in the failure of the nose landing gear.