What happened
On the afternoon of 27 April 2013, a Cessna 152, registration ZS-SAR, departed Worcester aerodrome (FAWC) for a local private flight. The pilot, a member of the Worcester Flying Club, had planned a flight of approximately one hour. After taking off from runway 31 at roughly 1420Z, the aircraft failed to return to the aerodrome as scheduled.
As the aircraft became overdue, club members attempted to contact the pilot via mobile phone without success. They also contacted local farmers and air traffic control at Cape Town International, but no radio communication was recorded. Later that evening, the wreckage was discovered on Farm Wittekop, approximately 9.2 nautical miles southeast of the aerodrome. An eyewitness reported seeing the aircraft perform a left turn, pitch upward, and then fall to the ground in a nose-down attitude. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the impact.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and the aircraft's maintenance history. The investigation noted that the aircraft was within its center of gravity limits and had sufficient fuel for the intended flight duration. During the on-site inspection, a flight training manual was found near the right-hand door, which had been found open following the crash. The manual contained highlighted sections regarding forced landings, precautionary landings, and spins.
Technical examination of the control system revealed that the aircraft had undergone regular maintenance inspections, with the most recent completed in November 2012. However, the physical state of the control linkages was critical to the accident outcome.
Findings
- The investigation established that the right-hand rudder cable failed.
- This mechanical failure most likely deprived the pilot of the necessary rudder authority required to counteract a spin and execute a recovery maneuver.
- The aircraft was flying at an estimated altitude of no more than 1,000 feet above ground level when the accident occurred.