What happened
On November 23, 2002, a Windlass Trike, registration ZS-WAW, was involved in a fatal accident near the Vaaldam wall. The aircraft was operating on a private flight, having departed from Leeukop Aerodrome. While flying along the Vaal River, the aircraft was observed by a witness to be maintaining a very low altitude. In an attempt to navigate around high-tension wires spanning the river and to avoid rising terrain, the pilot executed a 180-degree right-hand turn. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck a high, rocky riverbank on the western side of the Vaal River, approximately 2km downstream from the dam wall. The impact caused the aircraft to burst into flames, resulting in two fatalities.
The investigation
Investigators established that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were fine with calm winds. The investigation focused on the flight path and the immediate obstacles present in the aircraft's trajectory. It was determined that the pilot was attempting to avoid overhead power lines and geographical obstructions by performing a sharp turn at a low altitude.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a steep right-hand turn performed at a low altitude.
- The maneuver was initiated to avoid high-tension wires and obstacles ahead.
- The turn resulted in the aircraft colliding with rising terrain on the right side of the flight path.