What happened
On 10 January 2011, a Boeing 737-20/200 operated by Africa Air Charter arrived at Hoedspruit military aerodrome following a non-scheduled charter flight from O. R. Tambo International Airport. After successfully disembarking 97 passengers, the crew prepared for a repositioning flight. During the taxi phase, the pilot temporarily deactivated the aircraft's landing lights to avoid dazzling an approaching aircraft in the darkness.
Due to poor visibility and intermittent rain, the crew missed the intended turn onto taxiway Charlie, eventually finding themselves at a dead end. After determining that no ground assistance or towing equipment was available at that hour, the captain attempted to maneuver the aircraft out of the dead end by reversing into a taxiway leading toward military hangars to execute a 180-degree turn. During this unguided reverse maneuver, the pilot failed to stop the aircraft in time. The main wheels drifted off the edge of the taxiway, causing the aircraft to slide down a steep, four-meter embankment. The nose-wheel remained on the taxiway while the rest of the airframe came to rest in a thicket of trees.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and the condition of the aircraft. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft, registration ZS-SGX, was properly maintained and had undergone a C Check only seven hours prior to the incident. The crew's licenses and medical certificates were both valid, and the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was in order. The investigation focused on the decision-making process regarding the use of reverse thrust/maneuvering without external visual guidance in low-visibility conditions.