What happened
On the afternoon of 18 September 1999, a Bush-Baby aircraft, registration ZU-BCX, was participating in a formation takeoff alongside two other aircraft. The flight was departing from Ermelo with the intention of proceeding to Secunda. During the takeoff sequence, as the second aircraft in the group was transitioning from a crosswind to a downwind position, the aircraft entered a stall. Because the aircraft was at an insufficient altitude to execute a recovery, it impacted the ground in a quarry located north of the Ermelo aerodrome. The impact resulted in an explosion, and there were 2 fatalities on board.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the flight, noting that the weather conditions at the time of the accident involved a south-easterly wind of 15 to 20 knots, good visibility, and a temperature of 10°C. The investigation focused on the flight maneuvers performed during the takeoff phase and the aircraft's performance during the turn.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the pilot stalled the aircraft during a turn.
- The aircraft was at too low an altitude to allow for an effective recovery from the stall before impacting the terrain.