Accident Overview
On 12 September 2014 at 07:10Z, a Cessna Agwagon A188B, registration ZS-ION, struck electrical wires during an agricultural spraying operation near Waterkloof farm, between Heidelberg and Witsand in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot, the sole occupant, suffered fatal injuries.
Flight History
The pilot, a 21-year-old male commercial pilot, had taken off from a private airstrip near Waterkloof farm at 05:40Z to perform pesticide spraying on a canola field. He was operating under agricultural supervision training, as he had not yet been issued the required crop spraying rating. The pilot conducted several spray runs, landing and taking off multiple times to refuel and reload pesticide.
Witnesses reported hearing the aircraft and observed it flying low over the canola field. The left wing tip struck the lower electrical wires, causing the aircraft to impact the ground in a nose-down attitude and come to rest inverted. The pilot was airlifted to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed during the impact sequence. The electrical wires were also damaged.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a valid commercial pilot licence with approximately 438.9 total flying hours, including 149.6 hours on the Cessna A188B. He had completed type differences training on the accident aircraft in March 2014. His medical certificate was valid until 31 October 2014. The pilot had completed an aerial applications certificate in May 2013 and a crew resource management course in May 2014.
Probable Cause
The aircraft collided with electrical wires during the agriculture crop spraying operation.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, weather conditions were reported as CAVOK (Ceiling and Visibility OK) with hot and sunny conditions.