What happened
On the morning of 21 May 2017, an Aerostar Yak-52, registration ZU-ULU, departed Rand Airport for a private flight within the general flying area. The flight was conducted under visual flight rules in clear, favorable weather conditions. The pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, intended to return to Rand Airport following a brief period of flight.
At approximately 0 838Z, air traffic controllers at Rand Airport attempted to contact the aircraft via radio but received no response. After querying other pilots in the vicinity who also reported no sightings, the tower was notified by a police officer that the aircraft had crashed in an open field near Thinasonke Township. Witnesses described the aircraft approaching from the west, pitching down and up, and eventually becoming inverted before entering a spiral dive and striking the ground in a nose-down attitude. The impact resulted in one fatality and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage at the site near Panorama Airfield. The examination of the aircraft's instruments revealed that the engine was producing power at the moment of impact, with the RPM indicator at 100% and the speedometer showing a high impact speed of 220 km/h. The wreckage analysis showed no evidence of mechanical failure or pre-impact malfunctions in the engine, airframe, or navigation systems. The aircraft had been properly maintained, with its last annual inspection completed in October 2016.
Findings
- The pilot held a valid private pilot license and medical certificate.
- The aircraft was airworthy and maintained according to manual specifications.
- Meteorological conditions were clear with no contributing weather factors.
- The primary cause of the accident was that the pilot lost control of the aircraft after it stalled and entered a spiral dive.