What happened
On 29 January 1999, a private flight departed from Bronkhorstspruit Aerodrome. The flight's initial attempt involved an aircraft that sustained propeller damage after striking a rock hidden in the grass during taxiing. Following this incident, the pilot opted to use a different aircraft, a Siai Marchetti S205-18R, registration ZS-ESC, for the intended trip to Rinkhalskop Lodge.
During the take-off roll on Runway 36, the aircraft reached a rotation speed of 70 mph. Shortly after becoming airborne, the left wing dropped and the stall warning activated. The pilot immediately initiated an aborted take-off. During the maneuver, the aircraft bounced back onto the runway surface. In an effort to halt the aircraft before the runway ended, the pilot applied the brakes, but the system failed to provide any deceleration. Consequently, the aircraft veered left off the runway, striking a hidden pile of concrete blocks located roughly 2 to 3 metres from the runway edge. The impact caused the landing gear to break off, and the aircraft eventually came to rest near a tree after descending a one-metre embankment.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events involving the Siai Marchetti S205-18R and the mechanical performance of the aircraft during the aborted take-off. The inquiry focused on the aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft at the moment of rotation and the subsequent failure of the braking system to prevent the runway excursion.