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| Date: | Monday 30 September 2024 |
| Time: | 05:44 UTC |
| Type: |  Cessna 172E |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-FPX |
| MSN: | 17251388 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1964 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Pretoria-Wonderboom Airport (PRY/FAWB) |
| Pretoria-Wonderboom Airport (PRY/FAWB) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A student pilot on-board a Cessna 172 aircraft with registration ZS-FPX was engaged in a local solo training flight from Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB)..
The student pilot took off at approximately 0500Z from FAWB to the general flying area (GFA). Upon his return to FAWB, he was instructed by the air traffic control (ATC) officer to join left downwind for Runway 11 at 5 100 feet (ft) above mean sea level (AMSL). The student pilot was number two in the circuit as there was traffic ahead of him. After turning left base, he commenced the descent to 4 700ft; he also selected the wing flaps to stage two and activated the carburettor heat (ON position). As he was about to turn final approach, he noticed that the aircraft's height was 4 400ft. He then applied power and raised the nose, but the aircraft failed to gain height. Later in an interview, the student pilot would state: 'I started to feel a bit uneasy, and started to panic a little, leading me to assume that there was something wrong with the engine.'
As the student pilot was on final approach, the ATC cleared him for a touch-and-go landing on Runway 11; the wind was 120° at 10 knots (kts). During the student pilot's readback, he declared a MAYDAY stating that he was losing height and that he would like to land. The ATC cleared him to land on Runway 11.
Thereafter, the ATC officer informed the Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) personnel to be on standby. Meanwhile, the aircraft approached and landed on Runway 11; however, the nose gear strut collapsed during landing. As a result, the propeller struck the runway, and the aircraft came to a stop in a nosed-down attitude. The ATC officer activated the crash alarm and the ARFF team responded swiftly to the scene. The student pilot was not injured. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, lower engine cowlings and the nose landing gear which had collapsed.
The student pilot later stated: 'In my anxiety trying to get to the ground I neglected to monitor my airspeed, resulting in me crossing the threshold at a very high speed and I touched down in a very flat attitude, which resulted in a porpoise developing, and after the sixth oscillation the nose gear oleo collapsed.'
During the post-accident debrief with the chief flight instructor (CFI), the student pilot mentioned that the aircraft's speed over the threshold was approximately 100 kts.
Probable Cause
The student pilot omitted to monitor the aircraft's approach speed on final approach and crossed the threshold of Runway 11 at approximately 100 kts. The aircraft touched down hard and in a flat attitude, and porpoised. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed after six oscillations and the propeller struck the runway.
Contributing Factors 1. Lack of experience.
2. Anxious state of the student pilot contributed to him omitting to check the aircraft's speed which was high on final approach.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
SACAA
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Nov-2024 10:04 | ASN | Added |
| 18-Nov-2024 10:09 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
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