What happened
On the early morning of 1 June 2002, a Hawker Siddeley 748, registration ZS-OJU, was conducting a scheduled cargo flight from Bloemfontein to George. The aircraft was transporting various goods, including mail and motor vehicle spares. As the flight approached George Aerodrome, the crew encountered challenging weather characterized by low clouds and rain.
While attempting an instrument landing on Runway 29, the pilots encountered intermittent unreliability with the ground-based Instrument Landing System (ILS). After noting that the aircraft was too high on the glide slope and experiencing speed issues, the pilot-in-command initiated a go-around at approximately 05:10Z. During the subsequent missed approach, the crew attempted to re-establish their position using VOR navigation. However, while executing a turn, the aircraft encountered severe weather conditions and lost situational awareness. The aircraft eventually struck the side of a mountain in the Vandalenskloof area, 7.6 nm from the aerodrome, resulting in the deaths of both pilots and the one passenger on board.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators analyzed data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), alongside wreckage examination and meteorological records. The investigation focused on the flight path during the missed approach and the functionality of the navigation aids. Investigators utilized wind factor calculations to reconstruct the probable flight track, as the aircraft's path deviated significantly from the intended course. The study also examined the serviceability of the aircraft's directional gyro and the impact of high-altitude winds on the aircraft's stability during the maneuver.