Country
code

Mpumalanga

Crash of a Cessna 208 Caravan I Near Lydenburg: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 2014 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
3006
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Sabi Sabi - Lydenburg
MSN:
208-00136
YOM:
1988
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was completing a training flight from Sabi Sabi to Lydenburg on behalf of the 41st Squadron. While descending to Lydenburg, the aircraft crashed in a mountainous area near the Long Tom Pass. Two passengers were seriously injured while three other occupants were killed.

Ground accident of a Boeing 737-2T5 at Hoedspruit AFB

Date & Time: Jan 10, 2011 at 2050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-SGX
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hoedspruit - Johannesburg
MSN:
22396/730
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
26512
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1300
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1100
Aircraft flight hours:
70094
Circumstances:
The aircraft was flown on a non-scheduled charter flight from O. R. Tambo International Airport to Hoedspruit military aerodrome, where it landed safely and all 97 passengers disembarked. The crew then prepared to return to O. R. Tambo International Airport with no passengers on board. Whilst taxiing to the cleared holding point for takeoff, the pilot switched off the landing lights to avoid blinding an approaching aircraft. As a result, he overshot the turning point in the darkness and found himself at the end of the taxiway with insufficient space to turn around. According to him, he decided to manoeuvre the aircraft out of the "dead end" by turning into the last taxiway, which led to military hangars, and then reversing the aircraft to carry out a 180° turn. This was to be done without external guidance. Whilst reversing the aircraft, the pilot failed to stop it in time, the main wheels rolled off the edge of the taxiway and the aircraft slipped down a steep embankment, coming to rest with the nose-wheel still on the taxiway. The aeroplane was substantially damaged, but no-one was injured.
Probable cause:
Inappropriate decision by the captain to reverse the aircraft at night without external guidance.
Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 near Barberton: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 2008 at 1538 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-OSD
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Inhambane - Nelspruit - Bloemfontein
MSN:
461
YOM:
1975
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Captain / Total flying hours:
275
Captain / Total hours on type:
9.00
Circumstances:
The purpose of the flight was to spend a week in Mozambique during the school holidays following the 3rd term. The regular pilot of the aircraft was unable to undertake the journey due to an injured leg, so a replacement pilot was trained over a three-day period to fly two families to Mozambique. The pilot, together with four adults accompanied by four children, departed New Tempe aerodrome (FATP) on the 27th of September 2008. The first leg of the journey would see the aircraft fly from New Tempe aerodrome (FATP) to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (FAKN). After a brief stop at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (FAKN) for customs formalities, the aircraft then proceeded to Inhambane (FQIN) in Mozambique. On the 5th of October 2008, the aircraft was refuelled with 200 litres of fuel at Inhambane (FQIN) in Mozambique for the return leg of the journey. The return leg of the journey would see the aircraft fly from Inhambane (FQIN) in Mozambique to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (FAKN) for customs formalities and refuelling. 326 litres of fuel was uplifted at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (FAKN). The pilot filed a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan with the ATC at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (FAKN) for the flight to New Tempe aerodrome (FATP) on the day of the accident. The aircraft departed Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (FAKN) at 1317Z for the final leg of the flight to New Tempe aerodrome (FATP). Approximately 20 minutes after take-off from FAKN, a witness observed the aircraft flying at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet AGL with the wings level in a southerly direction, overhead the farm, in the direction of the mountains. The witness noted that the aircraft was flying much lower than aircraft would normally fly when they flew over the farm. Thick mist covered approximately one third (1/3) of the top of the mountain at the time. The witness then lost sight of the aircraft and approximately two minutes later he heard an explosion. The witness immediately notified the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport authorities that an aircraft may have been involved in an accident. A search and rescue operation was initiated after the appropriate authorities had been informed. The search and rescue operation that consisted of air and ground searches were hampered by adverse weather conditions in the area from where the witness had heard the explosion emanating. The wreckage was located the following day during the air search operation, approximately 170 feet below the mountain top, where the aircraft had impacted with terrain. The aircraft had ploughed through a pine tree plantation, and was destroyed in the impact sequence and by the post-impact fire that had erupted. All the occupants on board the aircraft were fatally injured in the accident.
Probable cause:
The pilot encountered adverse weather (IMC) conditions en route during a VFR flight, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) near the top of the mountain.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Sabie

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1996
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-MZH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Site:
MSN:
31-7405232
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area near Sabie. Occupant's fate unknown.

Crash of a Rockwell Shrike Commander 500S in Louws Creek: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1988
Operator:
Registration:
C9-AOO
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
500-3179
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route, the twin engine airplane encountered poor weather conditions and crashed near Louws Creek. One occupant was seriously injured while two others were killed.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-134A-3 in Komatipoort: 34 killed

Date & Time: Oct 19, 1986 at 2121 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
C9-CAA
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Mbala – Maputo
MSN:
63457
YOM:
1980
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
35
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
34
Captain / Total flying hours:
13056
Captain / Total hours on type:
7523.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3790
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2380
Aircraft flight hours:
1105
Circumstances:
The Tupolev 134 departed Mbala (MMQ), Zambia, for a flight back to Maputo (MPM). The flight carried Mozambique president Samora Machel who had attended a meeting of African leaders in Zambia. While approaching Maputo, an inadvertent selection of the MATSAPA VOR frequency caused the crew to execute a premature 37-degrees turn. Although the pilot queried the turn, no effort was made to verify it by using the available navigational aids. The aircraft descended below the 3000 feet limit in spite of not having visual contact with Maputo. The crew erroneously assumed a power failure at Maputo. A 32-second GPWS warning was ignored and the aircraft collided with the ground at 2187 feet, bounced and crashed into an uphill slope. The aircraft broke up, slid across the South African/Eswatini border and caught fire. Machel, along with 33 other occupants did not survive the accident.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident was that the flight crew failed to follow procedural requirements for an instrument let-down approach , but continued to descend under visual flight rules in darkness and some cloud, i.e. without having visual contact with the ground, below minimum safe altitude, and in addition the ignored GPWS alarm.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL in Graskop

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1982
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-EJK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Johannesburg – Skukuza
MSN:
19484
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route on a charter flight from Johannesburg to Skukuza under IFR mode, the crew was unable to receive the NDB signal. Due to poor visibility, the crew decided to divert to Hoedspruit Airport and started the descent when the airplane stuck a hill and crashed. All 30 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that there was a malfunction of the ADF as the crew thought he was approaching Hoedspruit Airport while the aircraft was 67 km southwest of this city.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL in Carolina

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-AVI
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Livingstone – Johannesburg
MSN:
9630
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Enroute from Livingston to Jo'burg-Palmietfontein Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the pilot-in-command lost his orientation. In low visibility, the captain decided to divert to Carolina Airport but on final, the aircraft was too low and hit a rock and crashed 2 km short of runway. All 19 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The primary cause of the accident was a faulty navigation on part of the Captain of the airplane inasmuch as he set off on an incorrect course and thereafter his visual identification of towns en route was incorrect and based purely on assumptions. Had he checked his assumed ground speed between what he assumed to be Mahalapye and Warmbaths he would have found this to be approximately 318 mph which check would have alerted him. The secondary cause of the accident was the failure of those responsible to alert Pietersburg Aeradio Station and Beacon and the excessive degree of radio interference on the Rand on the evening of 15 September due to electrical storms. The tertiary cause was an attempted landing on a unidentified and unlighted aerodrome, of which the altitude was not known. Thereafter in a low approach the wheels of the airplane struck a rock outcrop approximately 1-1/4 miles from the airfield.
Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 594 Avian II in Aasvoelkop

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
ZS-AAC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Cape Town - Cape Town
MSN:
122
YOM:
1928
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a solo sortie from Cape Town. While approaching the Piketberg area, weather conditions worsened and the airplane crashed in hilly terrain in Aasvoelkop. The pilot was uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth in Carolina: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 4, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-AEP
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lourenço Marques – Germiston
MSN:
7020
YOM:
1934
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route from Lourenço Marques to Germiston, the single engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Carolina. Both occupants were killed.