What happened
On the afternoon of 15 July 2023, a private flight departing from Orient Airfield (FAOI) in Gauteng Province ended in a fatal accident. The aircraft, a UFM-13 Lambada with registration ZS-GMD, was performing a routine takeoff from Runway 36 under visual meteorological conditions.
Witnesses at the airfield observed the aircraft accelerating down the runway before pitching up into an extremely steep, near-vertical nose-up attitude. This aggressive climb caused the aircraft to lose airspeed significantly. Following this initial pitch, the aircraft's nose dropped, and the left wing subsequently slumped. The aircraft entered a series of erratic maneuvers, including a steep dive and a secondary high-angle climb, before ultimately impacting the ground near the Row B hangars. The impact resulted in one fatality and substantial damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the flight sequence, the pilot's credentials, and the aircraft's maintenance history. Investigators found that the engine was producing sufficient power at the time of the crash and that the fuel and flight control cables were in proper working order. However, certain administrative discrepancies were noted, including the failure to record the most recent aircraft re-weighing in the logbook and the fact that the pilot's National Pilot Licence and TMG rating had expired shortly before the flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the aircraft reached a high critical angle-of-attack during the climb, leading to a stall from which recovery was impossible.
- The pilot utilized excessive control inputs during the flight sequence.
- The pilot was operating the aircraft with an expired type rating and National Pilot Licence.
- The aircraft's logbook lacked a record of its most recent re-weighing.
- Meteorological conditions were favorable and were not a contributing factor to the crash.