What happened
At approximately 14:30 hours, an aircraft departed from Margate, bound for Rand Airport in Germiston via Ladysmith. The flight was carrying a crew of two and 10 passengers. Weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by overcast skies, intermittent drizzle, and a cloud base of roughly 1,000 feet. Winds were recorded from the south at 20 to 25 knots, with dark rain clouds visible inland along the flight path. The pilot had not received a meteorological report prior to takeoff.
At 14:44 hours, the operator at Durban Airfield received a weak signal from the aircraft, but radio contact was subsequently lost due to interference from another aircraft in the circuit area. Roughly ten minutes later, witnesses on the ground near Ixopo observed debris falling from the clouds. The aircraft had disintegrated while in flight, approximately 49 miles from Margate. All 12 occupants were fatally injured.
Findings
Investigations into the accident focused on two primary theories regarding the structural failure of the aircraft. One theory suggests that while flying in level flight, a severe gust caused the port engine mounting to fail. This movement allegedly caused the propeller to strike the port wing, leading to a wing collapse, subsequent tail structure failure, and the loss of the starboard engine.
An alternative conclusion considered by the Board suggested the aircraft may have broken up while recovering from a dive. Under this scenario, the forces involved in pulling out of the dive caused the engines to shift, resulting in the structural failure of the wing and the eventual separation of the rear fuselage.