History of Flight
On 26 March 2016, a Cessna T206H, registration ZS-DOM, operated by Van den Berg JL, T/A Domberg Lugdiens, was on a private flight under Part 91 from Aviators Paradise Field Airport (FAAP) to Borneo Farm in the Timbavati private nature reserve. The pilot, aged 57, held a private pilot license and had 2780.9 total flying hours, with 679.2 hours on type. Three passengers were on board.
During the approach for landing, the pilot realised he was too high and reduced power, initiating a steep descent. He subsequently determined he was too deep for landing and initiated a go-around at low altitude. During the go-around configuration, the aircraft stalled and crashed on the left side of the runway, approximately 150 meters beyond the end of the landing strip. The aircraft was destroyed, and all four occupants sustained serious injuries.
A farm worker who resided on the property witnessed the arrival approach. He heard the aircraft and saw it coming in to land, then returned inside. Moments later, his wife heard a noise that sounded like a crash. The farm worker drove to the end of the runway and found the aircraft crashed.
Injuries
The pilot and three passengers were seriously injured during the accident sequence. No fatalities were reported.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft was destroyed. Impact marks indicated the left wing first clipped a tree following the stall, then the nose section struck the ground. The aircraft rolled to the left and came to rest against a tree in a nose-down attitude.
Meteorological Conditions
At the time of the accident, wind was from 190° at 5 knots, temperature 30°C, visibility good, with no cloud cover.
Probable Cause
The aircraft stalled as a result of insufficient forward speed following the pilot’s decision to go-around during a failed attempted landing. A contributory factor was wrong technique: the pilot failed to maintain flying speed and stalled the aircraft.