What happened
On 5 January 2026, a private flight involving a Van’s RV-7, registered ZU-IMY, resulted in a serious incident at Potchefstroom Airfield (FAPS) in the North West Province. The flight, conducted under visual meteorological conditions, was a local circuit pattern involving several touch-and-go landings.
During the third approach, the pilot configured the aircraft with full flaps at approximately 75 knots. As the aircraft flared at 65 knots, the engine power was reduced. This resulted in the aircraft floating significantly, eventually touching down approximately 900 metres beyond the runway threshold. During the subsequent landing roll, the pilot lost directional control, causing the aircraft to veer left. An attempt to correct the deviation caused the aircraft to swing to the right side of the runway, where the nose pitched down, leading to propeller strikes on the ground. The aircraft eventually came to a stop on the grass. There were no injuries to the two occupants, but the aircraft suffered substantial damage to the propeller and the left main landing gear.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the pilot's credentials and the aircraft's maintenance history. The pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence with the appropriate type rating and a current medical certificate. The aircraft, ZU-IMY, was fully compliant with regulatory requirements, possessing a valid Authority-to-Fly and having undergone its annual inspection only 6.1 hours prior to the incident. No technical defects had been reported, and the aircraft was considered serviceable. Weather conditions at the time of the occurrence were clear and were not a contributing factor.
Findings
- The aircraft was unstable during the approach phase.
- The landing was deep, occurring far down the runway.
- The pilot failed to execute a go-around despite the unstable approach.
- Poor landing technique contributed to the loss of directional control.