What happened
On 28 February 2005, a Windlass Aquilla microlight, registration ZU-CVW, was conducting a private flight near the Atherstone Nature Reserve. The mission involved using telemetry equipment to locate a collared cheetah. While the pilot successfully located the animal, an approaching thunderstorm from the east of Thabazimbi necessitated an immediate return to the aerodrome.
As the aircraft approached the runway, the pilot encountered sudden, powerful wind gusts. The first encounter caused the left wing to dip, though the pilot managed to recover and maintain circuit altitude. However, during the subsequent turn onto final approach, a similar gust forced the right wing down. The pilot was unable to regain control, and the aircraft crashed into the bush approximately 50 meters from the threshold of runway 14. The pilot and passenger both sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft suffered substantial damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the meteorological conditions and the aircraft's maintenance history. Local weather records confirmed that thunderstorms were developing in the Thabazimbi area at the time of the accident, making intense, gusty winds highly probable around 1640Z. A witness on the ground corroborated that wind pressure had increased significantly for a period of about 15 minutes.
Regarding the aircraft's airworthiness, the ZU-CVW had undergone its last annual inspection on 13 January 2005. At the time of the accident, the airframe had flown 41.45 hours since that inspection.