Gauteng

The aircraft was parked on the international departures apron at FALA, ready for a flight from FALA to Blantyre. The pilot assumed that the engineer had pressurised the hydraulic accumulator and therefore did not inspect it himself. When the passengers arrived, the pilot got in the aircraft and began the internal pre-start checks. The co-pilot removed the chocks after boarding the passengers, closed the door and then started to brief the passengers. At that moment the pilot noticed that the aircraft was rolling forward. Attempts to stop the aircraft were unsuccessful, the aircraft rolled forward, narrowly missed a hangar and a parked Bell Long-ranger helicopter next to the hangar, crossed the taxiway and finally stopped when entering a ditch between the taxiway and the runway. The pilot was the holder of a valid transport pilot’s licence and had the type endorsed in his licence. The operation of the hydraulic system was found to be satisfactory. The hand pump was used to pressurise the system after which the brakes could be applied successfully.

The aircraft departed Johannesburg International Airport at 0119Z on an international cargo flight to Eros, an aerodrome located on the outskirts of Windhoek the capital of Namibia. There were two pilots and a passenger onboard the aircraft as well a substantial amount of cargo, consisting mainly of express freight parcels and two heavy steel bars approximately 3 metres in length each. The aircraft crashed approximately 106 seconds after commencing its take-off roll, impacting the ground in a left wing low attitude approximately 700 metres South of the threshold of runway 03R at Johannesburg International Airport in a marshy area. All three occupants onboard were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

The instructor was accompanied by a trainee pilot and two passengers (also pilots) on a local training flight and was in the process of doing type conversion training when the accident happened. On the third circuit after a touch and go landing on runway 06L, the right-hand engine failed soon after take-off. The aircraft was flown at low altitude in a left-hand circuit in an attempt to land onto runway 17. During this circuit the left-hand engine also failed. The aircraft collided with, and severed, three 11kV electrical conductors and executed a forced landing with the gear retracted to the North of FALA approximately 1 km from threshold of runway 17. The pilot only sustained minor injuries with no one else injured. The initial on-site inspection revealed that both front tanks, which were selected at the fuel tank selector, were empty. The pilot who was undergoing conversion training refueled the aircraft prior to the accident and stated that 70 litres of fuel was uplifted into each "inboard auxiliary" tank and that what he presumed to be the "main" tanks were filled to capacity. The instructor stated that upon his arrival, the pilot who refueled the aircraft told him that he had filled the "mains" and that the "centre aux. tanks" were partially filled. The instructor further stated that the "main" tanks were selected for the duration of the flight. The aircraft is equipped with three fuel tanks in each wing. These tanks are: Front, Rear Auxiliary and Auxiliary tanks. Only one fuel quantity gauge is installed in the aircraft. A seven position selector knob above the fuel quantity gauge determines the tank to which the gauge is connected which then indicates the amount of fuel in that respective tank. The left and right front tanks were selected on the fuel gauge selector knob.

The charter operator was involved in a weekly operation to transport computer programmers and training staff, from a Johannesburg company, from Rand Airport to Oranjemund in Namibia. The outward leg of the flights to Oranjemund took place on the Monday morning and the pilot and aircraft stayed at Oranjemund for the week. The return flight to Johannesburg usually took place on the Friday afternoon. On the morning of the accident flight the set time of departure was 0500z. The passengers were assisted through the process of passport control, boarding and settling in by the operator's staff. The baggage was put next to the aircraft. According to a witness the pilot carried out the loading of the baggage. An instrument flight plan was filed and the pilot obtained departure clearance before the aircraft was taxied to the holding point. According to the air traffic controller, the take-off run was normal for this type of aircraft. Shortly after take-off the pilot declared an engine failure and requested to be routed back to land on the runway. Seconds later the pilot communicated they were going to crash. Several witnesses stated that the aircraft was very low when it passed over the highway close to the accident site. One of the witnesses stated that he noticed the right-hand engine stopped and he could see the blades of the propeller. The fire fighting services were alerted. It was apparent by the smoke that the aircraft crashed on an extended line of Runway 29. The accident took place at 0506z in daylight conditions. All 10 occupants were killed.

The aircraft was loaded with cargo intended for Namibia, early the morning of the accident. The pilot reported that the right-hand engine suffered a loss of power at the point where he rotated the aircraft for take-off. During the attempt to abort the take-off the aircraft skidded over the end of the runway and crashed down an embankment. The pilot and his passenger escaped with minor injuries, but the aircraft was subsequently destroyed by the post impact fire.

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.

During the takeoff roll at Lanseria Airport, the crew encountered technical problems and elected to abort. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and came to rest, bursting into flames. There were no casualties.

During the takeoff roll un runway 03L at Johannesburg-Jan Smuts Airport, the pilot-in-command started the rotation but the aircraft failed to respond. The captain decided to reject takeoff and initiated an emergency braking procedure. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, struck a concrete block, rolled for 200 metres then lost its left main gear and engine n°1 before coming to rest. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after liftoff, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed near the runway end. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

The twin engine aircraft departed Heidelberg Airport for a local training flight with three pilots on board. Ten minutes after takeoff, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in hilly terrain located in the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. All three occupants were killed.