What happened
On 24 October 2008, a Tecnam P92-S Echo, registration ZU-DMT, was conducting a training flight from Rand Aerodrome toward the Orange Farm area. The flight was led by a commercial flight instructor accompanied by a student pilot, for whom this was the first official training session. During the flight, the aircraft experienced a sudden and catastrophic in-flight break-up. Witnesses on the ground observed debris falling from the sky, and one of the occupants was ejected from the wreckage during the disintegration. The impact resulted in two fatalities.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage, which was scattered across a 710-meter debris field. The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the airframe, particularly following the aircraft's history of five previous accidents. Metallurgical examinations were conducted on the fractured surfaces of the wing and empennage components. The analysis of the right wing revealed significant buckling between the wing strut and the cabin truss. Investigators also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance records, which showed the plane had a valid Authority to Fly and had recently undergone a maintenance inspection.
Findings
Technical analysis concluded that the aircraft suffered an aerodynamic overstress failure. The metallurgical report determined that the right wing failed first due to excessive lift forces. It is believed that the aircraft likely entered a spin, and the subsequent attempt to recover from the maneuver induced loads that exceeded the structural design limits. This initial failure caused the right wing to impact the fuselage, triggering a chain reaction that led to the separation of the horizontal stabilizers, the trim actuator, and eventually the left wing. While the aircraft had a history of previous incidents, the investigation found no evidence that prior repairs or pre-existing fatigue compromised the airframe's integrity.