What happened
On 25 May 2013, two gyrocopters departed from Morningstar aerodrome near Cape Town, embarking on a private pleasure flight toward Loeriesfontein in the Northern Cape. The flight was conducted in clear weather under visual meteorological conditions. The two aircraft, ZU-DTD and ZU-RBN, initially maintained regular radio contact, with the lead pilot checking in every 15 minutes.
After a refueling stop at Clanwilliam, the aircraft continued their journey. During the flight, the lead pilot noted that radio communication with ZU-DTD became difficult due to significant background noise. Shortly thereafter, the lead pilot attempted a position report but received no response. After being unable to re-establish contact, the lead pilot retraced the flight path to search for the second aircraft but was unable to locate it. Upon landing at Loeries and receiving notification of wreckage found on the farm Papkuilsfontein, it was confirmed that the aircraft had crashed.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage of the RAF 2000 GTX SE F1 and the circumstances surrounding the flight. The investigation included a post-mortem examination of the pilot, which revealed a complete 100% occlusion of the right circumflex artery caused by severe atherosclerosis and a thrombus. This medical finding established that the pilot suffered a myocardial infarction during the flight.
Technical inspections of the aircraft confirmed that the gyrocopter was properly maintained, with its last annual inspection completed in April 2013. The investigation also noted that the pilot held a valid National Pilot License and a medical certificate, though the latter required the use of corrective lenses. Evidence at the crash site indicated that the rotor blades struck the vertical stabilizer and rudder before the aircraft impacted the ground, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and the 1 fatality.