What happened
On 2-July 2021, a student pilot was conducting a solo consolidation flight in a Cessna 172S, registration ZS-TBJ, at Beaufort West Aerodrome in the Western Cape. After successfully completing an initial touch-and-go on Runway 08, the pilot attempted a second touch-and-go. During this second attempt, a gust of wind from the right caused the aircraft to land heavily, resulting in the nose swinging to the left while the aircraft maintained high speed.
In response to the bounce, the pilot applied full power to initiate a go-around. As the aircraft climbed past 300 feet, the pilot observed that the airspeed was only 70 knots and the nose remained below the horizon. An attempt to lower the nose to regain speed resulted in the airspeed dropping further to approximately 57 knots. Believing an engine failure had occurred, the pilot notified the Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) and activated the crash alarm. After performing a teardrop maneuver and realizing the aircraft was too high for Runway 26, the pilot executed a second maneuver and landed safely on Runway 08. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events following the hard landing and the subsequent flight characteristics. Investigators analyzed the pilot's actions regarding power application and flap configuration. The inquiry focused on why the aircraft failed to accelerate during the climb and why the pilot's attempt to lower the nose led to a further reduction in airspeed.
Findings
- The aircraft likely bounced during the landing phase due to a wind gust and high speed.
- The pilot failed to retract the flaps during the go-around procedure.
- The failure to retract flaps created excessive drag, which prevented the airspeed from increasing past 70 knots during the climb.
- When the pilot attempted to push the nose down to increase speed, the high drag from the extended flaps caused the airspeed to drop to 57 knots.