What happened
On 15 July 2011, a Bantam B22J, registration ZU-DZM, was preparing for a private flight from Kroon Farm in Limpopo to Fall Farm in Mpumalanga. The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, lined up on runway 09 for departure. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft's nose wheel struck a rabbit hole on the grass surface. This impact caused the nose to lift and the aircraft to veer sharply to the right. Despite the pilot applying left rudder to correct the deviation, the aircraft failed to respond and subsequently struck trees adjacent to the runway, resulting in a crash.
Both occupants were able to evacuate the aircraft unassisted and sustained no injuries. However, the aircraft suffered significant structural damage, including impacts to the propeller, wing struts, nose, and the right-hand undercarriage.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID established that the pilot was unfamiliar with the Kroon Farm aerodrome. To assist with the initial departure, the previous owner of the aircraft accompanied the pilot on the flight to provide guidance on the takeoff area. While the pilot had completed a standard pre-flight inspection of the aircraft and found it to be in good condition, the investigation revealed that a physical inspection of the runway surface had not been performed. Following the accident, the occupants returned to the site and identified rabbit holes along the aircraft's path on the runway.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot losing control of the aircraft during the takeoff roll after the nose wheel impacted a rabbit hole.
- The runway surface was in poor condition.
- The pilot failed to conduct a runway inspection prior to takeoff, relying instead on verbal assurances from the farm owner's son that the strip was safe.
- Weather conditions were clear and did not contribute to the event.