What happened
On 25 February 2012, a training flight involving a pilot and a student pilot was underway at Panorama Aerodrome in Gauteng Province. The flight, operating a Raptor 582 with registration ZU-DBD, commenced a standard takeoff from Runway 30, heading directly into the wind.
As the aircraft reached rotation and lifted off, the student pilot applied control inputs by pulling the control bar back and toward the left. This maneuver induced an immediate descending turn to the right. Although the pilot attempted to intervene, the aircraft could not be stabilized. The aircraft veered off the runway, the nose wheel struck the ground, and the aircraft subsequently cartwheeled. The impact resulted in two people on board sustaining injuries, specifically a broken arm for the pilot and back pain for the student.
The investigation
The SACAA AIID investigation confirmed that the aircraft was airworthy, properly maintained, and within its permitted mass and center of gravity limits at the time of departure. There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction or technical defects contributing to the event. The investigation focused on the flight dynamics during the initial climb and the actions of the occupants.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the loss of directional control during the takeoff phase.
- The student pilot's actions demonstrated an inadequate understanding of the aircraft's control systems.
- There was insufficient altitude available for the pilot to recover the aircraft once the descending turn began.
- Contributing factors included a lack of experience and an error in judgment regarding the first phase of flight.