4 fatalities

1971-05-26: BAe 125 (02) — South African Air Force - SAAF — Devil's Peak, South Africa

Devil's Peak, South AfricaFlight

On May 26, 1971, a BAe 125 (registration 02) operated by South African Air Force - SAAF was involved in an aviation accident near Devil's Peak, South Africa in flight. 4 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Controlled flight into terrain. 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 1781235199Data APIEditorial standards

During an airshow demonstration at Cape Town Airport, three aircraft in formation struck the cloud-shrouded slope of Devil's Peak, killing all 11 crew members. Investigators determined the cause as controlled flight into terrain.

Incident

A Mercurius aircraft, accompanied by two other similar aircraft, was performing a local demonstration flight as part of an airshow at Cape Town Airport. The formation executed a low pass over the airport and then proceeded westward. Shortly thereafter, all three aircraft simultaneously struck the slope of Devil's Peak, a location approximately 15 kilometers west of Cape Town Airport. The mountain slope was shrouded in clouds at the time of the impact. All three aircraft were totally destroyed, and all 11 crew members on board were killed.

Investigation

The official investigation into the accident determined the probable cause to be controlled flight into terrain, indicating that the aircraft were under pilot control at the time of impact but flew into terrain unintentionally due to the obscured conditions.