Johannesburg | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Two aircraft, ZS-NJX and ZU-MMI, with 6 and 7 people on board respectively, took off from Tzaneen aerodrome (FATZ) on 14 August 2011 at approximately 0820Z, engaged in private flights with the intention of landing at Rand Airport (FAGM) on the same day. As both aircraft had not arrived at Rand Airport at their expected time of arrival, numerous attempts were made to contact the aircraft and these were unsuccessful. The search and rescue mission was initiated to try and locate these aircraft. The search and rescue mission was based around the area where the aircraft were believed to have had last contact with each other and with other traffic. Unfortunately due to bad weather in and around the area of last contact of these aircraft, they could only be located approximately two days after they had collided with a mountain in the Lekgalametse valley. Both aircraft were destroyed by post-impact fire and all the occupants of both aircraft were fatally injured.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.
Contributory factors:
- Lack of proper flight planning,
- Low Clouds.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piaggio P.166S Albatross near Tzaneen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 14, 2011 at 1030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Piaggio P.166 Albatross

Operator:

R. Dominick

Registration:

ZU-MMI

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Tzaneen - Johannesburg

MSN:

462

YOM:

1973

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2893

Aircraft flight hours:

4501

Circumstances:

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.
Contributory factors:
- Lack of proper flight planning,
- Low Clouds.

Final Report:

Crash of a Learjet 35A in Adwa: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1999 at 1630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Learjet 35

Operator:

Corporate Jets

Registration:

N350JF

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Naples - Luxor - Djibouti City - Johannesburg

MSN:

35-219

YOM:

1979

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10000

Copilot / Total flying hours:

10000

Aircraft flight hours:

5434

Aircraft flight cycles:

3657

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Naples, Italy, on a ferry flight to Lanseria, with intermediate stops in Luxor and Nairobi. The aircraft was ferried in South Africa to be refurbished as it was recently purchased by a new owner. Because of the border-crossing prohibition a second flight plan was filed via Djibouti City. While cruising at an altitude of 41,000 feet, the aircraft deviated from the initial route and crossed the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia. At 1630LT, the aircraft was shot down by ground fire, entered a dive and crashed near the city of Adwa. Three days of negotiation with the Ethiopian government were necessary to clear a rescue team to visit the crash site. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both pilots, a British and a Swedish citizen, were killed.

Probable cause:

According to Ethiopian Authorities, the aircraft was shot down after it penetrated the Ethiopian airspace without valid clearance. At the time of the accident, the area was declared as a non-flying zone and the route was closed to all traffic via a NOTAM. The aircraft was mistaken for an Eritrean fighter aircraft with hostile intention and was therefore shot down by the Ethiopian Defense Force and destroyed.

Crash of a Volpar Turboliner 18 near Johannesburg: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1972

Type of aircraft:

Volpar Turboliner 18

Operator:

Registration:

ZS-PRA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Johannesburg – Pretoria

MSN:

4645

YOM:

1969

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Johannesburg-Jan Smuts Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane exploded in mid-air and crashed in flames 12 km north of the airfield. All three occupants were killed.

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

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

ZS-AVI

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Livingstone – Johannesburg

MSN:

9630

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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

Date & Time: May 15, 1948 at 0720 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-49 (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

ZS-BWY

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Durban – Johannesburg – London

MSN:

6341

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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 Lockheed 18 LodeStar in Johannesburg

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 18 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

ZS-ASW

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

2037

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On landing, an undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and hit a drainage ditch. All 15 occupants were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Undercarriage collapsed on landing.

Crash of a Lockheed 18-08-01 LodeStar off Kisumu: 12 killed

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 18 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

248

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Cairo – Kisumu – Johannesburg

MSN:

2057

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After take off from Kisumu Airport, while climbing by night, the crew encountered technical problems to raise the undercarriage because an electrical failure occurred on the undercarriage safety lock circuit. The captain decided to return to Kisumu but the twin engine aircraft crashed into the gulf of Kavirondo, 13 km off Kisumu. All 12 occupants were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
Cpt J. D. Mail,
Lt W. B. Lloyd,
Sgt C. V. Flusk,
Cpl LaFayette.
Passengers:
Maj Gen D. H. Pienaar ,
Col F. Theron,
Lt/Col E. V. Frykberg,
Lt/Col E. L. Mackenzie,
Maj J. W. A. Bell,
Maj F. Rawlins,
Cpt P. Bairnsfather-Cloete,
Sgt A. F. Weldon.
Source: ASN

Probable cause:

The combined difficulties of endeavouring to raise the undercarriage and maintain height and speed with a fully loaded aircraft during a night take-off under unfavourable flying conditions gave rise to an error of judgement in which the pilot allowed the aircraft to fly into the water. A contributory cause was the fatigue of the 'elderly pilot' who had flown 1800 miles in the previous 24 hours and had only 6 hours sleep and was trying to reach South Africa at the special request of General Pienaar as soon as possible. No evidence of sabotage was found.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.6J Envoy III in Abercorn: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.6 Envoy

Operator:

Maxwell H. Findlay

Registration:

G-AENA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Portsmouth - Abercorn - Johannesburg

MSN:

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft named 'Gabrielle' was owned by the British Maxwell H. Findlay & Ken H. F. Waller who were taking part to the 'Schlesinger Trophy' between Portsmouth and Johannesburg. While taking off from Abercorn Airfield, Northern Rhodesia, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the bush. The pilot Max Findlay and the radio operator A. H. Morgan were killed while both other occupants were injured.
Crew:
Max H. Findlay, pilot, †
Ken H. F. Waller, copilot,
A. H. Morgan, radio operator, †
C. Derek Peachey, flight engineer.

Crash of a Percival P.10 Vega Gull near Abercorn: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Percival P.10 Vega Gull

Operator:

D. W. Llewellyn

Registration:

G-AEAB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Portsmouth - Johannesburg

MSN:

K.20

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was taking part to the 'Schlesinger Trophy' from Portsmouth to Johannesburg. En route, poor weather conditions and heavy rain falls forced the crew to attempt an emergency landing in a prairie. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and both occupants were injured.
Crew:
D. W. Llewellyn, pilot,
C. F. Hughesdon, copilot.

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