2003 Piper PA-24-250 Accident at Kroonstad (ZS-CWK)

Overview and Flight Details On 24 December 2003, a Piper PA-24-250 with registration ZS-CWK was involved in an accident near Kroonstad, South Africa. The aircraft was operating a private local flight from Kroonstad (FAKS) with the same aerodrome as the intended landing point. The pilot-in-command held a private licence and had 750.0 total flying hours, including 510.0 hours on type. The flight carried one pilot and three passengers, who were members of the Sandriver Commando, and the purpose was to obtain aerial photographs of a farm. ## Accident Sequence After completing a pre-flight inspection, the pilot and passengers boarded and taxied toward the threshold of Runway 07. Weather conditions were reported as fine, with a wind of 320°/25 knots gusting to 40 knots, a temperature of 28°C, and visibility greater than 10 km. According to two passengers, the take-off was normal, but shortly after lift-off the engine produced a strange “Prprpr…” noise. The passenger seated next to the pilot observed the pilot adjusting the throttle and mixture levers; the engine ran smoothly for a short period before running rough again. The pilot stated, “people we are experiencing trouble.” The passengers could not recall events until the aircraft came to a halt and they crawled out of the wreckage. ## Injuries and Rescue The three passengers reached a safe distance from the wreckage and realized the pilot was still trapped inside. One passenger returned and found the pilot strapped in his seat and unconscious. He freed the pilot from the burning wreckage and pulled him to safety. The group then called emergency services and police. The owner of the farm where the aircraft crashed arrived and assisted, with emergency services arriving soon afterwards. One person was killed? No, the source states none killed. Injuries: 1+2 (pilot and two passengers injured). ## Contributing Factors The accident report identified several contributing conditions: the maximum gross weight limitation was exceeded prior to take-off; the forward centre of gravity limit was exceeded; the take-off was made from Runway 07 with a strong crosswind/tailwind component of 320°/25 knots gusting to 40 knots; evidence of a lean mixture setting was found during engine teardown inspection; and the density altitude was 7,200 ft. The accident site was located approximately 500 m from the threshold of Runway 25 at Kroonstad.