What happened
On 29 April 2000, a Maule Rocket, registration ZS-AGM, was conducting a private area flight departing from a private airstrip located near the Breede River, approximately 5 km from Malgas. The flight, which included a pilot and one passenger, was traveling in an easterly direction along the river toward the sea.
As the aircraft approached a bend in the river where the waterway shifts from an easterly to a southerly course, an observer noted the aircraft began a turn. During this maneuver, the aircraft appeared to turn back toward its original direction of flight. At this time, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of roughly 200 feet above the river level.
During the execution of the turn, the aircraft experienced a sudden lateral descent toward the terrain. The aircraft subsequently struck a rocky field north of the Breede River on its belly, sliding approximately 30 meters from the initial point of impact. Both occupants of the aircraft sustained injuries, though there were no fatalities.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the flight path and the circumstances surrounding the maneuver. The investigation focused on the aircraft's behavior at the river bend and the altitude maintained during the turn. Witnesses provided accounts of the aircraft's flight path and the sudden loss of altitude during the turn.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating at a low altitude of approximately 200 feet above the river.
- The aircraft experienced a sudden side-ways fall toward the ground during a turn.
- The primary factor in the accident was that the pilot likely stalled the aircraft during the turn and lacked the necessary altitude to recover before impacting the ground.