No fatalities

Aircraft crashes into residence shortly after takeoff (3296)

Cape Town, South AfricaTakeoff (climb)

On October 31, 1942, an Avro 652 Anson (registration 3296) operated by South African Air Force - SAAF was involved in an aviation accident near Cape Town, South Africa during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A technical failure occurred during the takeoff phase of flight. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft experienced a technical malfunction immediately after departure, resulting in a crash onto a residential structure. All five people on board survived with injuries.

What happened

The incident occurred during the initial climb phase, shortly after the aircraft had left the ground. During this critical period of flight, the machine suffered a sudden technical failure. The loss of control or performance led to an uncontrolled descent, causing the airframe to impact a house on the ground.

Despite the severity of the collision with the residential building, there were no fatalities. All five occupants managed to escape from the wreckage. Each individual sustained various injuries as a result of the crash and was subsequently treated for their conditions.

Findings

The official investigation identified the root cause of the accident. The primary factor contributing to the event was a mechanical or system malfunction that occurred during the takeoff sequence. This technical failure prevented the aircraft from maintaining safe flight parameters, leading directly to the impact with the structure.

Probable cause

A technical failure occurred during the takeoff phase of flight.