What happened
On 4 March 2009, a Bantam B22J microlight, registration ZU-EKN, was involved in a fatal accident on a private farm in the Griquatown area of the Northern Cape. The flight began when the pilot took off from a public road to join a neighboring farm for a jackal-hunting exercise.
During the operation, the pilot used the aircraft to assist the ground team by reducing power to descend toward spotted jackals, serving as a visual signal for the hunters. Approximately fifteen minutes into the flight, a witness observed the aircraft climb to roughly 100 feet before suddenly turning right and nose-diving at a 45-degree angle. The aircraft struck the ground nose-first, and the impact destroyed the airframe. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained two fatal injuries.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the aircraft, the engine, and the flight conditions. The engine, a Jabiru 3300, underwent a teardown inspection which revealed no mechanical failures or defects that could have caused an in-flight stoppage. While a foreign object was found in one cylinder head valve, investigators concluded it was ingested during the crash sequence itself.
Investigators also reviewed the aircraft's weight and balance. Although the combined weight of the pilot and passenger exceeded the manufacturer's maximum allowable crew weight, the aircraft remained within its center of gravity limits. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was not equipped with a stall warning system.
Findings
- The pilot was performing a private flight and held a valid microlight license.
- The aircraft stalled and lost control during a low-altitude maneuver.
- The pilot did not possess a specific livestock cull rating, which may have impacted experience levels during low-altitude game observation.
- The aircraft's weight exceeded the maximum allowable crew weight specified in the flight manual.
- The lack of a stall warning system meant the pilot had no automated alert of the impending aerodynamic stall.