What happened
On the evening of 5 October 2021, a Piper Seminole 44-180, registration ZS-SWP, was conducting night flight training at Karoo Gateway (Beaufort West) Aerodrome. The flight, involving a student pilot and an instructor, was performing visual flight rules (VFR) circuit-and-landing exercises to build multi-engine rating hours.
During the third touch-and-go attempt on Runway 08, the student pilot applied full power and initiated rotation at approximately 75 knots. As the nose gear left the ground, the crew observed an antelope (duiker) crossing the runway from left to right. In an attempt to avoid a direct collision, the instructor took control and raised the aircraft's nose. Despite this maneuver, the nose wheel struck the animal at a speed between 75 and 80 knots.
Following the impact, the instructor continued the takeoff to ensure the aircraft remained within operational limits. After a 20-minute circuit, the crew notified air traffic control. While the landing gear appeared to remain locked, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to its nose section, including a cracked nose spar box, sheared bolts, and buckled fuselage skin. No injuries were reported.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical condition of the aircraft and the aerodrome environment. The crew and aircraft documentation were found to be in order, with valid licenses and airworthiness certificates.
Physical inspection of the Piper Seminole 44-180 revealed significant structural damage to the nose area, including sheared rivets and a cracked drag link assembly. The engines and propellers remained undamaged. Regarding the aerodrome, the facility was confirmed to be fenced, though it was determined that the antelope likely entered the runway area by crawling under the perimeter fence, which showed no visible signs of damage.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the nose landing gear impacting an antelope during the takeoff rotation phase.
- The aircraft sustained significant structural damage to the nose gear assembly and surrounding fuselage skin.
- The animal likely bypassed the aerodrome's perimeter fencing by moving underneath it.
- Nighttime visibility limitations prevented ground personnel from visually confirming the landing gear status immediately following the strike.