Accident
On the morning of the accident, a charter flight was scheduled to depart from Rand Airport at 0500z for Oranjemund, Namibia. The operation was a weekly service transporting computer programmers and training staff for a Johannesburg company. The pilot had filed an instrument flight plan and obtained departure clearance before taxiing to the holding point. According to the air traffic controller, the take-off run appeared normal for that type of aircraft. Shortly after take-off, the pilot declared an engine failure and requested clearance to return and land on the runway. Seconds later, the pilot communicated that the aircraft was going to crash.
Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft flying very low as it passed over a highway near the accident site. One witness observed that the right-hand engine had stopped and could see the propeller blades. The accident occurred at 0506z in daylight conditions. The aircraft crashed on an extended line of Runway 29. Fire fighting services were alerted upon seeing smoke. All 10 occupants were killed.
Investigation
Investigators determined the following findings:
- The precipitative cause of the accident was the failure of the exhaust pipe segment, which caused the right-hand engine to lose power or fail.
- The aircraft was in an overloaded condition, which was considered a highly significant contributory factor.
- The pilot operating the aircraft in an overloaded condition was regarded as a significant contributing factor.
- The company's lack of flight operations management experience, professional flight standards supervision, and an operational safety management program were regarded as significant contributing factors.
- Anomalies noted in the regulatory oversight of the operator by the Civil Aviation Authority and its regulatory division were regarded as possible contributing factors.
The operator had been involved in a weekly operation to transport personnel from Rand Airport to Oranjemund. The outward leg was on Monday morning, with the pilot and aircraft staying in Oranjemund for the week, and the return flight typically on Friday afternoon. On the accident day, passengers were assisted through passport control, boarding, and settling by operator staff. Baggage was placed next to the aircraft, and the pilot personally loaded it.