What happened
On 4 January 2025, a solo navigational flight involving a Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior, registration ZS-JLO, ended in a runway excursion at Winelands Airfield (FAWN) in the Western Cape. The flight, conducted under Part 1 and Part 141 training provisions, began at Winelands Airfield with an intended route to Swellendam Airfield (FAWX) and a return to the departure point.
After an uneventful flight to Swellendam, the pilot returned to Winelands Airfield and joined the traffic pattern for Runway 05. Following two unsuccessful approaches that required go-arounds due to being high on final, the pilot attempted a third approach. During this final attempt, the aircraft was flying at 65 knots with 40 degrees of flaps. As the pilot reduced power, the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude and struck the runway threshold with significant force, causing the aircraft to bounce. The aircraft then veered left of the runway centerline. In an attempt to correct the deviation, the aircraft rolled to the right, causing the right-wing tip fairing to scrape the runway surface. The pilot managed to regain control and brought the aircraft to a stop. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the pilot's experience and the aircraft's mechanical state. The investigation established that the pilot had recently completed a type conversion to the Piper aircraft in late 2024 but had not flown the type for two months prior to the incident. The aircraft, ZS-JLO, was found to be airworthy, with a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and a recent mandatory periodic inspection completed in December 2024. Meteorological data indicated a light crosswind of approximately 11 knots, which was well within the aircraft's maximum demonstrated crosswind limit of 17 knots.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the aircraft's speed was too low during the final approach with 40 degrees of flaps, leading to a loss of lift, a hard touchdown, and a subsequent bounce.
- The pilot's limited recent experience with the aircraft type, following a two-month hiatus, contributed to the difficulty in managing the landing.
- A lack of familiarity with handling crosswind conditions may have impacted the pilot's ability to maintain directional control during the excursion.
- Environmental conditions, specifically the crosswind, were not a contributing factor as they were within safe operating limits.