Fatal mid-air crash exposes murky side of Wilson Airport flying school

The Tuesday morning tragic crash of an aircraft at Wilson Airport, claiming the lives of a trainee pilot and their instructor brings to light serious revelations, including weak safety protocols and training practices at the school.

The Cessna 172M, owned by Ninety Nines Flying School and registered as 172-65726, had previously been involved in two incidents that drew the attention of the Ministry of Transport’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Department.

These incidents, occurring before Tuesday’s tragedy, calls for urgent need for enhanced training for student pilots to effectively handle emergencies.

According to reports from the investigation department, the first incident took place in January 2021, when the aircraft experienced difficulties during a training flight at Wilson Airport.

Despite the pilot in training having been cleared for a solo flight, a botched landing resulted in damage to the aircraft, attributed to the pilot’s failure to execute proper landing procedures.

Similarly, in October 2020, the same aircraft encountered problems during takeoff, leading to an emergency landing back at Wilson Airport.

Strange noises from the propeller prompted the student pilot, with 128 hours of flight experience, to attempt a return to the runway, but the aircraft veered off and landed in a grassy area, sustaining damage to the nose wheel steering link assembly.

In both instances, investigators highlighted deficiencies in training programs and emphasized the need for enhanced safety management systems at Ninety Nines Flying School.

Recommendations included improving students’ readiness to handle emergency maneuvers and ensuring comprehensive training on abnormal conditions.

The findings of these investigations cast a spotlight on the broader issue of aviation safety and regulatory oversight within the training sector. As the aviation community mourns the loss of two lives in this tragic accident, there are growing calls for stringent measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.