History of Flight
On 24 January 2014, at approximately 1258Z, a Cessna A188 Agwagon, registration ZS-NDY, departed from Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) on a ferry flight to Warmbaths Aerodrome (FAWA) under visual flight rules. The aircraft had just undergone a mandatory periodic inspection. After an uneventful takeoff from runway 29, the pilot reported outbound five minutes later.
The aircraft was later observed by farm workers near Petronella, west of Hammanskraal, flying at low level approximately 2 nautical miles off its intended route, near the pilot's parents' home. One eyewitness, the owner of plot 79, reported seeing a small single-engine yellowish aircraft approaching very low, at a height of about 30 meters. The aircraft almost clipped a tree, then pulled into a vertical nose-up attitude, described as an aerobatic maneuver, and headed back in the same direction. The aircraft then pitched down and disappeared from view, followed by a loud bang.
The witness rushed to the site and found the pilot conscious but seriously injured. Emergency medical services and police were called. The pilot later succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead at the scene.
Injuries to Persons
The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft was destroyed in the accident sequence. No fire occurred.
Other Damage
Minor environmental damage was caused to the private property. The aircraft owner conducted a thorough cleanup.
Personnel Information
The pilot, a 24-year-old South African male, held a Private Pilot License valid with a type endorsement for the Cessna A188. He had accrued 109.7 total flying hours, including 15.5 hours on type. His medical certificate was valid until 31 January 2014. He had no previous accidents or enforcement history. His logbook entries were accurately logged.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna A188-300 Agwagon (serial number 188-0238) is a single-seat, single-engine, low-wing agricultural aircraft, manufactured in 1966. It was powered by a Continental IO-520 D engine. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had 2,516.66 total airframe hours. The last mandatory periodic inspection was performed on 24 January 2014 at 2,516.05 hours. The Certificate of Airworthiness was valid until 14 August 2014. The aircraft was certified for standard Part 135 operations.
Meteorological Information
The reported conditions at the time included a dry bulb temperature of 34°C, dew point 7°C, and wind speed of 3 knots.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The investigation determined the probable cause as a failure to maintain flying speed, resulting in an inadvertent acceleration stall at low altitude from which the pilot could not recover. Contributing factors included disregard for standard/safe/regulatory operating procedures and poor airmanship.