Cessna A152 Crash Landing at Heidelberg Aerodrome (ZS-SSG)

Incident Overview and Flight History On 18 November 2013, a Cessna A152 with registration ZS-SSG was involved in an accident at Heidelberg Aerodrome (FAHG) in Gauteng Province. The aircraft was operated by the South African Flight Training Academy (SAFTA) for a training flight. The pilot-in-command was a 22-year-old student pilot with a total of 24.3 hours of flying experience, all of which were on the Cessna A152 type. The pilot had completed two uneventful touch-and-go circuits on runway 24 before the incident occurred during the third circuit. During the final approach, the pilot reported encountering a gust of wind from the right-hand side while flaring for touchdown. This led to a loss of directional control, causing the aircraft to make a hard landing on its nose gear. The aircraft subsequently bounced and veered to the right side of the runway. The pilot's attempt to correct the direction using left rudder was unsuccessful, resulting in the collapse of the nose wheel and the propeller blades striking the ground. The aircraft skidded to a stop on the grass 260 meters from the runway threshold, coming to rest 36 meters from the initial impact point. The final resting position was recorded at GPS coordinates 26°30'15.58S, 28°23'45.24E. ## Damage and Injuries The Cessna A152 sustained substantial damage, including to the nose landing gear, engine mountings, left main gear, propeller, and the outer section of the left wing leading edge. The investigation determined that all damage was attributable to the severe impact forces. The pilot was not injured and was able to disembark the aircraft unassisted. There were no fatalities or other injuries reported. The aircraft left skid marks on the runway surface but did not cause damage to the runway itself. No pre- or post-impact fire occurred. ## Investigation Findings and Probable Cause The investigation revealed that the probable cause of the accident was the loss of directional control due to a hard landing with the nose landing gear first. Contributory factors identified included poor handling technique and a lack of experience. The pilot had started training on 5 September 2013 and had accumulated 22.1 hours of dual flight time and 2.2 hours of solo flight time prior to the accident. The last date the pilot flew the aircraft type was 11 days before the accident. The investigation noted that the aircraft was maintained in accordance with existing regulations, and no defects were reported in the airframe or power plant components prior to the flight. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were clear, with a wind direction of 250 degrees, a wind speed of 7 knots, and a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. The investigation concluded that the accident was not due to mechanical failure but rather to the pilot's handling of the aircraft in gusty conditions.