ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 302947
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| Date: | Saturday 19 November 2022 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Cessna 172E |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-DUR |
| MSN: | 172-51496 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Vereeniging Airport (FAVV) -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Vereeniging Airport (FAVV) |
| Vereeniging Airport (FAVV) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated that he rotated at 60kts with 1 notch flaps and, at approximately 150 feet above ground level (AGL), the stall warning sounded before the aircraft lost height. The pilot further stated that there was a strong wind from the left which caused the aircraft to drift (to the left) whilst descending. The aircraft touched down approximately 720m northwest of the threshold of Runway 21 and continued to roll on the ground for a few metres before the nose wheel dug into the ground and broke off. The aircraft nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position after going over an electrical perimeter fence at a nearby farm. The tail was bent and the engine compartment damaged causing substantial damage, though it isn't known if the aircraft was legally written off.
It is noted that from a video posted by the passenger on the second row seats, that the right side door was wide open during the entire takeoff roll and the remainder of the flight, presumably because one of the occupants intended to do photography out of the aircraft. The occupant stated that he intended to remove the door for the task, but couldn't. In fact, in the post-crash photos, there is a strap holding the door open to the wing struts. This creates a tremendous amount of drag, and along with the one notch of flaps extended at this density altitude of 6,600 ft, that made it a very difficult flight.
It is also important to note that the South African authorities did a very poor job on the accident investigation, with many errors regarding to the available field length on the Cessna 172 with this density altitude, coupled with the complete lack of mention of the opened door in flight held by the strap.
Probable Cause
The aircraft lifted off before it reached rotation speed and stalled shortly after take-off.
Contributing Factors
It is likely that the pilot did not use the required runway length for the aircraft type at take-off.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
S.A. CAA
YouTube channel Pilot Debrief - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nen9ZNZo2h4
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Apr-2024 09:08 | Anon. | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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