What happened
During a flight traveling from Durban toward Bulawayo, the crew reported to air traffic control that smoke was spreading throughout the cockpit while the aircraft was cruising at 13,000 feet. In response to the emergency, controllers authorized a descent to a lower altitude.
To mitigate the effects of the smoke, the pilots opened the cockpit windows during the low-altitude flight. The crew decided to divert to Vaalwater Aerodrome, an airfield featuring a grass runway measuring 780 meters in length and 10 meters in width.
Upon landing at the aerodrome, the aircraft struck a tree located on the left side of the runway. This impact caused the plane to cartwheel and resulted in the loss of one landing gear before the vehicle came to a stop. There were no injuries among the four occupants, though the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
Investigations determined that the smoke originated from the area behind the captain's seat. The source of the smoke was identified as an electrical short circuit within the system providing power to the weather radar.