Crash of a Bae 4121 Jetstream 41 in Durban: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 2009 at 0757 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-NRM
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Durban - Pietermaritzburg
MSN:
41069
YOM:
1995
Flight number:
LNK911
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
2956
Captain / Total hours on type:
751.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2002
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1027
Aircraft flight hours:
27429
Circumstances:
During the take-off roll, the cockpit crew of another airliner observed smoke pouring from the right engine of ZS-NRM. They were shocked, yet reluctant to tell the crew of ZS-NRM to abort the take-off as they felt that they might be blamed had the abort gone wrong. Instead, the witnessing pilots enquired from the tower whether the aircraft was aware of the smoke. By the time the ATC responded, the aircraft was already in the air, but with its landing gear not yet retracted. Another aircraft lining up at the holding point informed ZS-NRM that their undercarriage was still extended, and the captain of ZS-NRM then transmitted (instead of using the intercom) an instruction to his co-pilot to raise the gear. During this transmission, the sound of what was possibly a warning sound could be heard in the background. The aircraft became airborne and climbed to approximately 500 ft above mean sea level before losing altitude and making a forced landing on a small field in the Merebank residential area, about 1,4 km from the end of the runway. During the forced landing, a member of the public was struck by the wing of the aircraft and the three crew members were seriously injured in the accident. The captain subsequently died from his injuries.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after takeoff followed by inappropriate crew response, resulting in the loss of both lateral and directional control, the misidentification of the failed engine, and subsequent shutdown of the remaining serviceable engine.
Contributing factors:
- Separation of the second-stage turbine seal plate rim;
- Failure of the captain and first officer to implement any crew resource management procedures as prescribed in the operator’s training manual;
- The crew’s failure to follow the correct after take-off engine failure procedures as prescribed in the aircraft’s flight manual.
Final Report:

Crash of an AMI Turbo DC-3-65TP in Pretoria: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1998 at 1646 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-NKK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pretoria - Durban
MSN:
13143
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
11691
Circumstances:
Final power assurance checks were carried out on the aircraft’s engines on the morning of the accident. The AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) trimmed the elevator-trim tab to the Full Nose UP position in order to reduce the stick forces required to hold the tail down during the engine power checks, but he did not set the elevator trim back to the neutral position on completion of the checks. The AME was requested by the pilot(s) to remove the aileron and elevator external gust locks and the landing gear down lock pins. He left the rudder lock in place, which was later removed by one of the pilots. The pilot(s) did not carry out a pre-flight inspection. At approximately 1646 on 24 August 1998 the DC3TP, registration number ZS-NKK, crashed during take-off from runway 11 at Wonderboom Airport. The PIC (Pilot-in-Command), who did not wear a shoulder harness, sustained fatal injuries and the co-pilot, who did wear a shoulder harness, serious injures. The accident occurred on the first flight after the aircraft had undergone a maintenance inspection, which included power assurance checks of the engines. The co-pilot sat in the left-hand seat and while he started the engines, the PIC attended to the cockpit checklist.
Probable cause:
It would appear that the accident was as a result of the PIC taking-off with the elevator trim set to the full nose-up position. This resulted in the nose of the aircraft pitching up after rotation, causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-32B in Vaalwater

Date & Time: May 7, 1998 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
3D-DRV
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Durban – Bulawayo – Harare
MSN:
2302
YOM:
1990
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising at the altitude of 13,000 feet on the leg from Durban to Bulawayo, the crew informed ATC about smoke spreading in the cockpit and was cleared to reduce his altitude. Shortly later, while flying at low altitude, the pilots open the cockpit windows to allow the smoke to evacuate and elected to make an emergency landing at Vaalwater Aerodrome which offers a grassy runway of 780 metres long and 10 metres wide. After touchdown, the aircraft struck a tree on the left side of the runway, cartwheeled, lost a landing gear and came to rest. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The smoke that spread in the cockpit was coming from behind the captain's seat as a result of a short circuit in the electrical system supplying the weather radar.

Crash of a Cessna 402B in Durban

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1988
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-KPF
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Margate – Nelspruit
MSN:
402B-0602
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Margate Airport, while on a charter flight to Nelspruit, the pilot encountered a red warning light for the right main gear. He was cleared by ATC to divert to Durban Airport for an emergency landing when the twin engine aircraft crashed on approach. All eight occupants were rescued.

Crash of a Douglas C-49E in Durban: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
ZS-DAK
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1498
YOM:
1936
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While descending to Durban Airport on a charter flight, the pilot-in-command completed a turn to join the approach path when the left engine failed, followed shortly later by the right engine. The crew elected to modify the position of the fuel selector but the engines did not respond. The captain attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed on a beach located in Umbogintwini, about 6 km southwest of the airport. A passenger was killed while 24 other occupants were evacuated safely. Nevertheless, some of them were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure on approach caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK on Mt Ingeli: 17 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1951
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-AVJ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Port Elizabeth – Durban
MSN:
12016
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
While cruising in clouds, the airplane crashed on Mt Ingeli (2,500 meters high) located about 17 km southeast of Kokstad. The aircraft christened 'Paardeberg' was destroyed and all 17 occupants were killed. It is believed that the accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-49K in Mt Spitzkop : 13 killed

Date & Time: May 15, 1948 at 0720 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-BWY
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Durban – Johannesburg – London
MSN:
6341
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Durban in the early morning on a flight to London via Johannesburg. While cruising in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Spitzkop located 32 km south of Vrede, in the Witkoppens Mountain Range. All 13 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was off track by eight miles, probably due to navigational error on part of the crew, caused by the lack of visibility due to poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK off Kisumu: 28 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
6812
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kisumu – Durban
MSN:
11987
YOM:
1943
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
24
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
28
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Kisumu Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft crashed on an island located in the Winam Bay, northeast part of the Lake Victoria. All 28 occupants were killed, among them SAAF soldiers that were released after being prisoners of war.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty but Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority banned all night takeoffs from Kisumu Airport for several weeks following this accident.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina into the Lake Saint Lucia: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FP265
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Durban - Durban
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Congella at Durban on a maritime survey flight. En route, the seaplane went out of control and crashed into the Lake Saint Lucia, killing all eight crew members.
Crew (262nd Squadron):
F/O F. N. C. White, pilot,
F/Sgt T. H. T. Lane,
Sgt A. F. Soady,
Sgt R. F. Jenkins,
Sgt A. J. Mills,
Sgt R. T. Cork,
Sgt T. J. Burrington,
Sgt R. P. Kay.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth in Durban

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1935
Registration:
ZS-ADT
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Durban - Durban
MSN:
2115
YOM:
1930
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot departed Durban-Stamford Hill Airport on a local solo flight. For unknown reasons, the airplane crashed upon takeoff and was damaged beyond repair. The pilot escaped with minor injuries.