What happened
During the takeoff roll, the crew of a nearby airliner noticed smoke emitting from the right-hand engine of ZS-NRM, an aircraft type (not specified in source). The observing pilots initially hesitated to alert the crew of the departing flight due to concerns regarding potential liability if an aborted takeoff resulted in an incident. Instead, the witnesses contacted air traffic control to inquire if the flight crew was aware of the smoke.
By the time the tower responded, the aircraft had already departed the runway, though the landing gear remained in the extended position. After being alerted by another aircraft at the holding point that the undercarriage was still down, the captain of ZS-NBM used the radio transmitter to instruct the co-pilot to retract the gear. During this transmission, an unidentified warning sound was audible in the background.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft reached an altitude of roughly 500 feet above mean sea level before it began losing altitude. The flight ended in a forced landing within a small field located in the Merebank residential area, approximately 1.4 km from the runway threshold. During the impact, a bystander was struck by the aircraft's wing. The incident resulted in three serious injuries to the crew members and one fatality following the death of the captain.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced visible smoke from the right engine during the takeoff phase.
- The landing gear remained extended during the initial climb after takeoff.