History of Flight
The pilot was conducting a private flight from Virginia (FAVG) to Ermelo (FAEO). On landing at Ermelo, during the landing roll on runway 13, the pilot observed two persons standing on either side of the runway. As the aircraft approached, the person on the left began to run across the runway from left to right. The pilot elected to swerve to the right to avoid the person. The aircraft struck the pedestrian with the port-side wing and left horizontal stabiliser.
Injuries to Persons
One pedestrian was fatally injured. The pilot was not injured.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft sustained damage to the port-side wing, the horizontal stabiliser, and the vertical stabiliser. The leading edge of the port wing was damaged 1 metre from the fuselage, with a 50 cm wide dent. The tail plane was damaged on the port-side horizontal stabiliser and on the vertical stabiliser.
Personnel Information
The pilot, a 78-year-old male, held a valid South African private pilot licence with type endorsement for the Mooney M20R. He had a total of 4,496.6 flying hours, including 2,179 hours on type. His medical certificate was valid with a requirement for corrective lenses.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Mooney M20R, registration ZS-NUP, serial number 29-0055, manufactured in 1995. It was owned by Rietspruit Crushers. The total airframe hours at the time of the accident were 1,674.2. The last mandatory periodic inspection was performed on 23 June 2011 at 1,593.6 hours.
Meteorological Information
Temperature was 26°C, visibility was good, wind was nil, cloud cover was nil.
Aerodrome Information
The accident occurred on runway 13 at Ermelo Airfield (FAEO), elevation 5,800 ft, asphalt surface. The runway has an upslope from the threshold followed by a downslope toward the hangars.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft impacted the pedestrian with the leading edge of the port wing and the tail plane. The pedestrian was struck approximately 1 metre from the fuselage.
Medical and Pathological Information
A post-mortem examination was conducted on the fatally injured pedestrian. The cause of death was multiple injuries and amputation at the waist area.
Survival Aspects
The accident was not considered survivable for the pedestrian due to the nature of injuries. The pilot was properly restrained and not injured.
Additional Information
Ermelo airfield has a pedestrian entrance gate installed to prevent people from cutting the fence to cross the runway. Pedestrians commonly enter from the town to collect firewood and cross the runway. On the day of the accident, two pedestrians had collected firewood and were returning. The first pedestrian crossed the runway, then felt a gust of wind and saw that an aircraft had passed and struck her companion. The pilot reported that he did not see the pedestrians initially due to the runway slope; upon reaching the crest, he saw two women carrying wood on their heads. When about 50 metres from them, the one on the left ran across. The pilot turned right, with about 80% of the aircraft off the runway, but collided with the pedestrian. He then returned to the runway, taxied to the hangar, and called emergency services and police.