What happened
On 12 September 2014, a Diamond DA 20-C1, registration ZS-SNN, was involved in an incident during a navigation training exercise. While attempting to land on Runway 23 at Fisantekraal airfield (FAFK), the student pilot performed a flare that was too high. This resulted in a hard impact with the runway, causing the aircraft to bounce. After several subsequent bounces, the aircraft eventually came to a stop, but the impact caused damage to the propeller blades and the nose wheel. There were 0 injuries and 0 fatalities resulting from the event.
The investigation
Investigators examined the flight parameters and the condition of the aircraft following the event. The inquiry established that the student pilot was properly licensed and rated for the flight. Regarding the aircraft, the Diamond DA 20-C1 was found to have been properly maintained, with no defects reported before or after the incident, and it held a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and Certificate of Registration. Meteorological conditions at the time of the landing were reported as CAVOK (ceiling and visibility OK) with a temperature of 20°C.
Findings
Analysis of the flight path revealed that the student pilot approached the runway at an excessive speed and at too high an altitude. This poor landing technique led to the initial hard landing and the subsequent loss of control during the bouncing sequence.