Cessna 172M Crash in Magaliesberg Mountain Range (ZS-JDN)

Flight Details and Accident Overview On 3 September 2017, a Cessna 172M with registration ZS-JDN departed from Wonderboom Aerodrome (FAWB) in Gauteng province for a private flight. The aircraft was operated under Part 91 regulations with the intention of routing to the Hartbeespoort Dam area before returning to FAWB. The flight was conducted in daylight under Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC). ## Accident Circumstances At approximately 0940Z, a local farmer observed smoke rising from a mountainside on his property. Upon investigation, the farmer discovered the wreckage of the aircraft and immediately notified the local police and fire departments. The accident site was located in the Magaliesberg Mountain Range at GPS coordinates 25°51’13.30” South, 027°32’03.06” East, at an elevation of 5,501 feet above mean sea level. The site was approximately 4.7 nautical miles northeast of Hekpoort town. ## Casualties and Damage Both occupants on board sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and the ensuing post-impact fire, which was likely caused by leaking fuel. A large section of vegetation was also destroyed by the fire, which was extinguished several hours later by fire and rescue services responding from Krugersdorp. ## Probable Cause The investigation determined that the most probable cause of the accident was a loss of airspeed while the aircraft was attempting to climb out of the valley. This led to a stall condition, which caused the aircraft to impact terrain due to insufficient altitude for recovery.