What happened
On the morning of 24 August 1998, an aircraft underwent engine power assurance checks following a maintenance inspection. During these procedures, an aircraft maintenance engineer adjusted the elevator-trim tab to a full nose-up position to minimize the physical effort needed to hold the tail down. Following the completion of these checks, the engineer failed to return the elevator trim to its neutral setting.
As part of the post-maintenance process, the engineer was asked to remove the landing gear down lock pins and the external gust locks for the aileron and elevator. While the aileron and elevator locks were removed, the rudder lock remained in place and was subsequently taken out by a member of the flight crew.
During the subsequent flight, the co-pilot occupied the left-hand seat and initiated the engine start sequence while the pilot-in-command performed the cockpit checklist. At approximately 1646, the DC3TP, registration ZS-NKK, crashed while operating from runway 11 at Wonderboom Airport during the take-off phase. The accident resulted in one fatality and one serious injury.
Findings
Investigation into the accident revealed that the pilot-in-command did not perform a pre-flight inspection prior to departure. Additionally, the pilot-in-command was not wearing a shoulder harness at the time of the crash. A critical factor in the accident was that the elevator trim was left in the full nose-up position following the maintenance engine checks.