What happened
On the afternoon of 16 March 2002, a RAPTOR (Microlight), registration ZU-AVT, was conducting a private flight from Van der Bijlpark toward Ventersdorp. The pilot was accompanied by his son, and the purpose of the flight was to visit family.
At approximately 1150Z, while flying over Farm Rietvally—located roughly 15 nm southeast of Ventersdorp—two witnesses observed the aircraft passing overhead at an altitude between 1000ft and 1500ft AGL. The weather was clear with no significant wind. According to the witnesses, the engine sounded normal and the aircraft appeared to be maintaining a steady, level flight path in a north-westerly direction. Suddenly, the witnesses heard a loud bang and a rushing sound as the aircraft's wings collapsed. The aircraft began spinning to the left and struck the ground approximately 50m from the witnesses. The impact resulted in two fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances of the flight and the observations made by witnesses on the ground. The investigation focused on the sudden loss of structural integrity during the flight. The meteorological conditions at the time were noted as CAVOK (ceiling and visibility OK) and very warm, with no significant wind reported.
Findings
- The investigation established that the aircraft encountered a sudden updraft or severe turbulence.
- This atmospheric disturbance caused the left-hand leading edge to partially separate from its attachment point.
- The failure was attributed to an excessively worn nose attachment, which could not withstand the aerodynamic forces encountered during the turbulence.
- This structural failure rendered the aircraft uncontrollable, leading to the fatal descent.