Cirrus SR20 Crash at Lanseria International Airport (ZS-CAP)

Accident Overview and Location On 18 July 2013, a Cirrus SR20 with registration ZS-CAP crashed at approximately 0730Z on the private farm Bultfontein in the Muldersdrift area, about 500 meters from the northeastern boundary of Lanseria International Airport (FALA). The accident site was located at GPS coordinates S 25°55,986, E 027°56,628, at an elevation of 4,327 feet. The aircraft was destroyed in the impact, and both occupants sustained fatal injuries. ## Flight History and Operations The flight was a proficiency check conducted by a private pilot and a Grade 2 flight instructor. The check was required because the private pilot had not flown the aircraft type within the previous 30 days, per the operator's policy. The flight was intended to consist of three circuits. After completing two uneventful circuits, the aircraft was cleared for a touch-and-go on the second circuit. The pilot requested an early right-hand turn, which was approved by FALA air traffic control (ATC) provided the aircraft was safe and able to complete the maneuver. ## Witness Accounts and Impact Witnesses observed the aircraft banking sharply to the right onto the crosswind leg after the touch-and-go. One witness, seated in a parked aircraft at FALA, saw the aircraft roll level and then dive sharply toward the ground, followed by the deployment of the ballistic parachute. Another witness on the farm saw the aircraft at approximately 50 feet above ground level when its nose pitched down, followed by the parachute deployment. The aircraft impacted the ground at approximately 0730Z. ## Probable Cause and Contributory Factors The investigation determined that the aircraft entered a stall at low altitude from which the pilots were unable to recover. Contributory factors included: 1. The pilots omitted to reconfigure the aircraft flaps for takeoff as per the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) take-off settings following the touch-and-go landing. 2. The aircraft's ballistic parachute was deployed and was in transition at a low altitude, which further lowered the nose attitude of the aircraft. ## Personnel and Aircraft Details The pilot-in-command was a 24-year-old female commercial pilot with 1,637.5 total flying hours and 777.3 hours on type. The private pilot was a 19-year-old male with 55.6 total flying hours and 50.8 hours on type. The aircraft, a Cirrus SR20 manufactured in 2001, had 1,804.3 total airframe hours at the time of the accident. The engine was a Teledyne Continental IO-360-ES, and the propeller was a Hartzell PHC-J3YF-1MF. The aircraft had a history of a hard landing incident on 13 December 2012, during which the propeller was damaged and replaced.