What happened
On 18 June 2011, during a fly-in festival at Alldays Aerodrome in Limpopo, a Magni Gyro 24 - Orion, registration ZU-RFR, departed on a scenic flight along the Limpopo River as part of a group of five gyro aircraft. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot issued a Mayday call, reporting that the aircraft's 'gull-wing' door had opened in flight and detached.
The detached door struck the propeller, causing a loss of forward motion and making a return to the airfield impossible. The pilot attempted an emergency forced landing on a nearby gravel road. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck telephone lines crossing the road and experienced a heavy impact. Following the touchdown, the aircraft rolled approximately 17 meters, caught fire, and was destroyed. While the pilot and passenger were evacuated by bystanders, both sustained serious injuries and later died at the hospital.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and flight path, noting that the aircraft door was recovered approximately one kilometer from the crash site. The door showed clear evidence of a propeller strike. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft's windshield fragments had been scraped by the telephone cables.
Investigators determined that the high deceleration forces of the impact, combined with the intensity of the post-impact fire, rendered the accident non-survivable. The investigation also noted that the pilot's medical certificate was invalid at the time of the occurrence.